BIZ BUZZ: BIR power play
Things aren’t what they seem at the Bureau of Internal Revenue, apparently.
According to our sources, there seems to be an unfolding power play at the tax bureau after Commissioner Ceasar Dulay took a medical leave to have hip replacement surgery. That medical procedure is over and done with and the good commissioner is now undergoing rehab therapy and is expected to return to work soon.
Or is he?
Some people are speculating that he might choose not to return to the helm of the BIR given this particular health concern. That, plus the fact that Dulay has himself admitted to his peers that he was no tax expert. His professional expertise, we’re told, was labor law. But President Duterte trusts him since their days as dormitory bunkmates in university.
Given this situation, Biz Buzz has learned that there is now an unfolding power struggle at the BIR, courtesy of a couple of influential deputies.
We recently wrote about a certain Mr. G who has supposedly been trying to usurp Dulay’s role, but this has been disputed by some people who know Mr. G, saying that no less than Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III chose him to be part of the BIR to help the labor law-oriented tax chief learn the ropes.
And while Mr. G has had his share of tax controversies while serving previous administrations, some of his fans vouch for his expertise, given his record as an honor student in law school, a bar topnotcher and his Master of Laws degree (specializing in taxation) from Harvard University.
“There’s an official at BIR who’s spreading false information against Mr. G because this official can’t have his way in his plans to assign key revenue district officers,” our source claimed.
Plus there’s another player in the tax agency’s hierarchy who seems to have his knives out for Mr. G. And his motives are not hard to fathom. This official—a certain “Mr. A”—was initially a shoo-in to be appointed as the country’s BIR commissioner soon after Mr. Duterte won. Everybody was expecting it (and not a few tax practitioners exchanged surprised looks when his name was floated). But alas, Dulay was the man chosen by the President and Mr. A was relegated to a supporting role in the agency.
But given Dulay’s current absence and recent surgery, who knows how things could turn out at the BIR. —Daxim L. Lucas
Property claims disputed
The camp of Solar Resources Inc.—a company that claims ownership of the Binondo, Manila, property on which Federal Land Inc. is building a P5-billion high-rise condominium project—contacted Biz Buzz to dispute allegations that they were engaged in extortion or blackmail against the Ty family-owned real estate developer.
First, Solar’s lawyers disputed Federal Land’s assertion that it acquired the property from Philippine National Bank through an auction of foreclosed assets.
“The truth is that the property is still registered in the name of Central Realty Development Corp. A copy of the title can easily be secured from the Register of Deeds of Manila,” said Solar, represented by the Divina law firm, which added that Central Realty executed a deed of sale in September 1993 where it transferred and sold the property to the late Dolores Molina.
“The original copy of the Deed of Sale and the Board Resolution authorizing the sale can easily be secured from the archives of notarized documents of the Regional Trial Court of Manila,” the law firm said.
The lawyers also disputed Federal Land’s assertion that the property firm secured a court decision declaring that the ownership claim of Molina as fake.
“The ownership case filed by Molina against Central Realty and Federal Land seeking to recover the subject property is still pending trial with the Regional Trial Court of Manila,” they said, also disputing that Solar surfaced to claim the property after Molina’s death.
“The truth is that Solar purchased the subject property from Mrs. Molina on Dec. 18, 2013,” the lawyers argued. “Molina passed away due to multiple organ failure on June 23, 2014.”
Finally, Solar also disputed that it had demanded money from Federal Land to settle the long-running property dispute.
“The truth is that Solar never demanded any money from Central Realty or Federal Land. As stated earlier, Solar substituted in the ownership case where it prays that the land it bought from Mrs. Molina be transferred in its name,” the company said. “Solar did not and will never resort to blackmail or extortion or a ‘property shakedown’. Solar availed of legal remedies and sought relief from the courts.”
That being said, it looks like a battle royale is shaping up over the P5-billion real estate development in the heart of Old Manila. Abangan! —Daxim L. Lucas
Green light for cable cars
Remember the plan for cable cars in Metro Manila? It was among the earliest solutions floated by the Duterte administration to help ease the traffic nightmare that commuters and motorist confront on an almost daily basis.
Luring both support and criticism, it appears the project was still a go.
In the department’s 100-day report this week, tucked in an innocent corner was the cable car proposal. It appears alive and well, and with some fresh updates. For one, the Transportation Department seems to have identified three areas. They are now looking at the Pasig River as well as Boracay and even Baguio.
We do realize two of those locations are outside Metro Manila, but we do recall transport chief Arthur Tugade saying the project was also for scenic purses, which would hopefully drive up tourism.
Based on their update, it also looks like the department is getting some outside help.
Notwithstanding the occasional rhetorical broadside launched by our President against the European Union, we’re seeking technical assistance and financing for feasibility studies from the French government.
Here’s hoping the project turns out to be a viable solution. When dealing with our traffic problems, we need all the help we can get. —Miguel R. Camus
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