Leo Olarte, M.D., PMA president. PHOTO from www.philippinemedicalassociation.org
MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Justice has set the preliminary investigation into the tax evasion complaint against outgoing Philippine Medical Association (PMA) president Leo Olarte on April 28.
Assistant State Prosecutor Stewart Mariano has been assigned by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Edna Valenzuela to handle the investigation of the complaint filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) against Olarte.
Mariano told reporters he had issued a subpoena to Olarte on April 11.
The BIR sued Olarte on March 27 for tax evasion, ordering him to pay P2.93 million in deficiency income and value-added taxes for the years 2006 to 2012.
The tax case against Olarte came after he denounced the BIR for its ads that depicted doctors as tax cheats.
Olarte was sued on several counts of willful attempt to evade or defeat payment of income tax and value-added tax, and on several counts of deliberate failure to file his annual income tax returns (ITRs) and VAT returns as well as paying these taxes for taxable years 2006 to 2012. Christine O. Avendaño
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