Couple amasses properties
on combined P24k a month salary
THE Department of Finance-Revenue Integrity Protection Service
charged with graft on Monday a couple who are both employees of
the Bureau of Internal Revenue for allegedly failing the government’s
lifestyle check.
Charged were Marlon
Pascual and his wife, Emma de Lara Pascual, both revenue officers
of the BIR in San Pablo City, Laguna.
“Despite a combined
salary of approximately P24,065 only and even less during their
earlier years in the government service, the spouses Pascual were
able to accumulate wealth or substantial properties grossly disproportionate
to their government income,” the DOF-RIPS said in the complaint
it filed with the Ombudsman.
According to the finance
department, the couple owns several assets and properties and
failed to explain how they were able to acquire them.
These include three
properties in San Pablo City, a house and lot in Baguio City,
Mitsubishi L-300 and Hyundai Starex vans, a 2003 model Mitsubishi
car, a Honda CRV Sports Utility Vehicle and a Ford Expedition
van worth P2 million.
The Mitsubishi car was
registered under the name of the couple’s daughter, Denise
Anne Pascual, who has no known gainful employment or business
enterprise to justify her acquisition of the said vehicle.
The Starex van, that
was bought in 2000, was also registered under the name of another
daughter, Blessilda, who at the time was financially dependent
on her parents.
The DOF-RIPS said the
CRV and the Expedition vehicles were acquired by the Pascuals
in 2001 and 2002 but were not declared in their Statements of
Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth. Aside from graft, they were
also charged with violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical
Standards for Public Officials and Employees, non-disclosure of
assets and perjury.
The DOF-RIPS said that
aside from amassing questionable assets, the BIR couple also took
several trips abroad.
The wife reportedly
traveled to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Thailand, and Shanghai, China.
R. Acosta
FRONTPAGE