MANILA – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has filed criminal charges against three former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials accused of evading over P1.6 billion in taxes allegedly amassed through kickbacks from ghost flood-control projects and laundered through casino gambling.
The BIR identified the respondents as former Bulacan First District Engineer Henry Alcantara, former Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez, and Jaypee Mendoza, who reportedly accumulated luxury assets and vast properties far beyond their legitimate income.
“We conducted a lifestyle check on Alcantara, Hernandez, and Mendoza. These three ex-DPWH officials had lavish lifestyles,” said BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr.
Lumagui said investigators uncovered P1.6 billion in income tax deficiencies after analyzing the officials’ tax filings, bank accounts, and declared assets.
“This is a clear case of tax evasion,” he added.
The bureau’s findings suggest that the trio pocketed “proponents’ shares” — kickbacks from non-existent infrastructure projects — and funneled the proceeds into casinos.
Records from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) allegedly showed that the officials exchanged massive amounts of cash for casino chips, transactions that dwarfed their declared salaries.
Investigators also discovered that the former officials owned prime real estate, high-end vehicles, and other luxury items not reflected in their Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs).
“The SALNs and tax returns of Alcantara, Hernandez, and Mendoza cannot justify their lavish lifestyle. Their casino records, properties, financial transactions, and business interests are grossly disproportionate to their declared sources of income,” Lumagui stressed.
The BIR said this marks the second wave of criminal complaints targeting individuals tied to fraudulent public works projects. So far, the agency has filed 10 criminal cases involving a total of P8.86 billion in tax liabilities — with more prosecutions expected.
“As of now, we have filed a total of 10 criminal cases, with P8,860,269,333.36 in total tax liability. Expect more tax cases to be filed,” Lumagui said.
The crackdown underscores the BIR’s intensified campaign against tax-dodging government officials and corrupt contractors implicated in public works anomalies./PN
