Before thinking of engaging in corruption, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) officials should imagine themselves wearing yellow uniforms, having just P100 for their daily meals, and co-mingling with other Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) in jail.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson stressed this Tuesday as he prodded the BIR and other government agencies to go into “reform mode.”
“I hope you can re-echo this to your personnel in the field. That’s a very good deterrent. Visualize someone wearing a yellow uniform co-mingled with Persons Deprived of Liberty. If you think of engaging in corruption, just imagine that and you will hold back,” Lacson told BIR officials who attended the Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearing on alleged corrupt practices in the agency, in a mix of English and Filipino.
“If you think of engaging in foolishness, think not just twice or thrice. Think at least 10 times,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson Naglatag ng Pampigil sa Tiwaling BIR Collectors, Sabay Tulak ang ‘Reform Mode’ sa Pamahalaan
Lacson also said a reform mode should be the answer to a running joke in the BIR and Bureau of Customs, that some collectors felt like petty pickpockets and snatchers compared to those in the Department of Public Works and Highways who raked in billions of pesos from anomalous flood control projects.
He noted that with the steps being undertaken by the BIR to address the corruption linked to the issuance of letters of authority (LOAs) and mission orders (MOs), the government should finally start to collect enough revenues to fund programs in the 2026 budget, and to address the country’s massive debt.
Citing Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, Lacson said the government faces a shortage of at least P200 billion to fund projects and programs in the 2026 budget. He said he had also suggested that some of the projects be marked “for later release,” especially those that were not vetted and were inserted in the House, Senate and bicameral versions of the budget bill.
At the hearing chaired by Lacson, the BIR detailed its reforms including a system-assisted, anonymized audit selection and assignment process to remove discretionary bias when choosing who gets audited, as well as limiting the issuance of LOAs.
It also said it continues to listen to and act on feedback from the public.
BIR Collections:
Lacson said the BIR needs to catch up and learn from the past as he cited data from 2023 to 2025 showing very poor efficiency in tax collection from electronic LOAs issued by the BIR’s Run After Fake Transactions (RAFT) task force.
From 2023 to 2025, he said 3,520 LOAs were issued by the task force, with only 54 cases ending in a Final Decision on Disputed Assessment (FDDA).
He also noted that while the assessed payables from NODs from 2023 to 2025 amounted to P601.01 billion, only P7.95 billion or a minuscule 1.32 percent had been paid.
“You can only succeed if you learn from the lessons of the past, to correct errors whether deliberate or not. If you don’t research properly the causes of the discrepancies, I don’t see how you can succeed,” he said.
Data-Sharing:
Lacson also said the BIR can potentially triple its tax collections – while detecting tax fraud – by implementing data-sharing with other relevant government agencies.
He said cross-referencing with other agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission, Land Transportation Office and Land Registration Authority can help the BIR find out about taxpayers’ assets including stock in corporations, real estate, as well as motor vehicles.
“You can easily triple your collections with this,” he said.
BIR Commissioner Charlito Mendoza said they are revisiting data sharing agreements with various agencies.
Info Drive:
Meanwhile, Lacson urged the BIR to intensify its information dissemination efforts on its reforms – including the mechanism to verify LOAs – so taxpayers will be aware of its reforms on LOAs and MOs.
“If the public does not know, they will be susceptible not just to unscrupulous BIR personnel but also criminals posing as BIR personnel,” he said.
Commissioner Mendoza assured that the BIR is working on this, noting that its online verification system registered at least 6,000 verification requests as of last week.
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Lacson Naglatag ng Pampigil sa Tiwaling BIR Collectors, Sabay Tulak ang ‘Reform Mode’ sa Pamahalaan
Bago maisipang gumawa ng kalokohan, dapat isipin ng mga opisyal ng Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) ang sarili nilang nakasuot ng dilaw na uniporme, may P100 lamang para sa pagkain kada araw, at nakikisalamuha sa ibang Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) sa kulungan.
Ito ang binigyang-diin nitong Martes ni Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson habang hinihikayat niya ang BIR at iba pang ahensiya ng pamahalaan na isulong ang “reform mode.”
“I hope you can re-echo this to your personnel in the field. That’s a very good deterrent. Ma-visualize mo somebody wearing a yellow uniform comingled with ordinary detention prisoners, PDLs. Pag may gagawin tayong kalokohan at yan imagine natin mag-hold back tayo,” ani Lacson sa mga opisyal ng BIR na dumalo sa pagdinig ng Blue Ribbon Committee hinggil sa mga alegasyon ng katiwalian sa ahensiya.
“Kung meron tayong gagawing kalokohan, think not just twice or three times, siguro 10 times,” dagdag niya.
Diin ni Lacson, ang pagpasok sa reform mode ang nararapat na sagot sa isang biro sa BIR at Bureau of Customs, kung saan may ilang kolektor ang nagsasabing para silang mga pipitsuging mandurukot lang kumpara sa mga nasa Department of Public Works and Highways na umano’y kumita ng bilyun-bilyong piso mula sa maanomalyang flood control projects.
Binanggit niya na sa mga hakbang na isinasagawa ng BIR upang tugunan ang katiwaliang kaugnay ng pag-iisyu ng letters of authority (LOAs) at mission orders (MOs), dapat nang makapagsimulang makakolekta ang pamahalaan ng sapat na kita para pondohan ang mga programa sa 2026 budget at mabawasan ang napakalaking utang ng bansa.
Ani Lacson, binanggit ni Executive Secretary Ralph Recto na may kakulangan ang pamahalaan na hindi bababa sa P200 bilyon upang pondohan ang mga proyekto at programa sa 2026 budget. Iminungkahi ni Lacson na markahang “for later release” ang ilang proyekto, lalo na ang mga hindi na-vet at naipasok lamang sa mga bersiyon ng budget bill sa Kamara, Senado, at bicameral conference.
Sa pagdinig na pinangunahan ni Lacson, inilahad ng BIR ang kanilang mga reporma kabilang ang system-assisted, anonymized audit selection at assignment process upang alisin ang discretionary bias sa pagpili kung sino ang ia-audit, gayundin ang paglilimita sa pag-iisyu ng LOAs.
Dagdag ng BIR na patuloy itong nakikinig at tumutugon sa feedback mula sa publiko.
Koleksiyon ng BIR:
Sinabi ni Lacson na kailangang matuto ang BIR sa nakaraan, kasabay ng pagbanggit ng datos mula 2023 hanggang 2025 na nagpapakita ng napakahinang kahusayan sa pangongolekta mula sa electronic LOAs na inilabas ng Run After Fake Transactions (RAFT) task force ng BIR.
Mula 2023 hanggang 2025, may 3,520 LOAs na inilabas ang task force ngunit 54 lamang ang nauwi sa Final Decision on Disputed Assessment (FDDA).
Dagdag pa niya, sa kabuuang P601.01 bilyong assessed payables mula sa Notices of Discrepancy (NODs) sa parehong panahon, P7.95 bilyon lamang o 1.32 porsiyento ang nabayaran.
“You can only succeed if you learn from the lessons of the past, para ma-correct kung deliberate or may omission or di sinasadya… if you don’t research properly kung ano cause/s ang laki ng drop from LOA to FDDA, I don’t see how you can succeed,” aniya.
Data-Sharing:
Ayon pa kay Lacson, maaaring matriple ng BIR ang koleksiyon nito —kasabay ng pagbuking ng tax fraud — kung magpapatupad ito ng data-sharing sa iba pang kaugnay na ahensiya ng pamahalaan.
Aniya, sa pamamagitan ng pag-cross reference sa Securities and Exchange Commission, Land Transportation Office, at Land Registration Authority, mas madali para sa BIR na matukoy ang mga ari-arian ng mga nagbabayad ng buwis tulad ng stocks sa korporasyon, real estate, at mga sasakyang de-motor.
“Easily mag-triple ang collection ninyo,” aniya.
Sinabi naman ni BIR Commissioner Charlito Mendoza na muli nilang sinusuri ang mga data-sharing agreements sa iba’t ibang ahensiya.
Information Drive:
Hinimok din ni Lacson ang BIR na paigtingin ang information dissemination ukol sa kanilang mga reporma—kabilang ang mekanismo para ma-verify ang mga LOA—upang maging mas mulat ang mga nagbabayad ng buwis.
“Kung hindi alam ng public, they are susceptible to unscrupulous not just BIR personnel maski nagpapanggap na BIR,” aniya.
Tiniyak naman ni Commissioner Mendoza na ginagawa na ito ng BIR, at nabanggit na ang kanilang online verification system ay nakapagtala na ng hindi bababa sa 6,000 verification requests hanggang noong nakaraang linggo.
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