Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 16) — Senator Raffy Tulfo criticized the Bureau of Internal Revenue for targeting social media influencers and online sellers with relatively “small earnings,” stressing that the government should instead intensify its efforts against people behind fuel smuggling.
In a statement, Tulfo said the current administration must focus on the “big fish,” like oil smugglers, to curb this illegal act.
The lawmaker said that the government could amass billions of pesos yearly, pumping up the country’s tax collection, if only the Bureau of Customs (BOC) “is properly doing its job.”
“Bakit hindi na lang bisitahin ng mga taga-BIR o BOC ang mga bahay at katukin ang mga pinto ng mga big-time oil smugglers? Baka naman hindi nila ito kayang gawin dahil itong mga oil smugglers ang mismong kumakatok sa kanilang pinto every month to pay under the table,” he said.
[Translation: Why don’t BIR or BOC people visit the houses and knock on the doors of big-time oil smugglers? Maybe they can’t do it because these oil smugglers are actually the ones knocking on their door every month to pay them under the table.]
Tulfo also questioned the government’s fuel marking, which is authorized under Republic Act 10963, or what is called the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law, which is intended to curb oil smuggling.
“Kahit mayroon ng marking scheme, marami pa ring mga nakakalusot at nai-smuggle na oil dahil may mga times na hindi nilalagyan ng oil marking itong mga barge from big-time oil companies o di kaya ay hindi dine-declare lahat. Halimbawa, 1 out of 100 drums lang ang ide-declare at yung isa lamang ang malalagyan ng marking,” he said.
[Translation: Even though there is a marking scheme, there is still a lot of oil that gets through and is smuggled because there are times when these barges from big-time oil companies are not even identified as oil or they are not declared at all. For example, only one out of 100 drums will be declared and only one will be marked.]
His reaction came following complaints from a vlogger and an online seller against BIR agents who allegedly visited their homes to inquire about their tax payments.
READ: Experts: New BIR memo merely reiterates social media influencers must pay taxes
Tulfo said Filipinos who are earning need to pay their corresponding taxes, but he said “the government must know their priorities if their intention is to maximize state revenue through taxation.”
The senator is looking to file a resolution “to address the issue head-on and find out the people or groups behind oil smuggling.”
