DILIMAN, Quezon City — Amid the ongoing investigation on alleged irregularities in the flood control projects of the Department of the Public Works and Highways (DPWH), focus has diverted to those private contractors listed as the top 15 firms who cornered several of the government's infrastructure development initiatives.

With this in view, the Bureau of Internal Revenue announced that it is already conducting a lifestyle check on the said contractors who are reportedly publicly 'flaunting' their assets.

This comes after President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. ordered the conduct of lifestyle checks on all government officials amid the ongoing probe into anomalous flood control projects in the country.
According to BIR commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr., in its initial stage of the lifestyle assessment, they would first determine whether the targeted contractors were tax compliant.

“Malawak ang magiging role ng BIR dito sa lifestyle checks ano. Ngayon ang ginagawa natin na lifestyle checks doon sa mga contractors at saka iyong may-ari ng mga contractors na ito dahil nakikita natin na marami silang ari-arian na pinu-flaunt,” Lumagui noted.

“Nakikita natin na malaki ang kanilang mga properties, iyong titingnan natin so ibabangga natin iyan sa revenues,” he added.

“Dahil nga sa direktiba ng ating mahal na Pangulo ay titingnan din natin iyong sa mga government officials. So, titingnan natin kung saan din hahantong ito dahil lalawak nang lalawak ang magiging imbestigasyon ng BIR,” the internal revenue chief further stated.

“Ang layunin lang naman d'yan, makita kung tugma ba ang kanilang mga assets doon sa mga binayad nilang buwis,” he clarified.

Accordingly, those contractors who will be proven tax deficient will be required to pay deficiency taxes and will not be issued an updated tax clearance. They will also be disqualified from succeeding government procurements and will be suspended from final settlement for existing government contracts.

“Kung kinakailangan na, maglalagay tayo ng tax lien sa mga kontrata para masigurado na maprotektahan ang pondo ng bayan,” Lumagui pointed out.

In ending, the BIR chief asserted that he believes the conduct of the lifestyle check would somehow help in pinpointing those involved in anomalies in government projects.

“Ito’y hindi lang simpleng administrative process lang, ang layunin nito ay tiyakin na lahat ng kumikita mula sa proyektong pinondohan ng buwis ng taongbayan ay nagbabayad din ng tamang buwis,” he concluded.