Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez yesterday brushed aside the controversies surrounding the alleged bribery by Malacañang of legislators and local officials who met with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last week.

"Ewan ko kung bakit pinalalaki ang isyung 'yan (I don't know why they are making a big deal out of it)," said Suarez, who was in Bacolod City yesterday for the Tax Amnesty Road Show of the Bureau Internal Revenue. Although he didn't attend the Malacañang meeting, the solon, a Liberal Party member, said he believes the amounts given to legislators and local executives like governors and mayors are a form of support in a time where there is a political exercise, referring to the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

"My point is, this is a political organization. It is the duty of a political leader to help his political supporters," he said, but added that the funds could not have come from the government.

In fact, Suarez said the President has already become deaf listening to requests of government officials for fund releases.

It was Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio who first admitted receiving P500,000 from Malacañang, resulting to subsequent admissions from Bulacan Gov. Joselito Mendoza and Pangasinan Rep. Rachel Arenas.

But Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye had earlier said "there was nothing wrong with receiving a donation," and dismissed allegations that the Palace bribed congressmen and local chief executives for their continued support to the Arroyo administration.

TAX AMNESTY

Meanwhile, Suarez said the Bureau of Internal Revenue expects to rake in P4 billion with the implementation of the Tax Amnesty Law of 2007, which took effect September 6.

The law, authored by Suarez, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, seeks to cover all national internal revenue taxes for the year 2005 and prior years, with or without assessment duly issued but have remained unpaid as of Dec. 31, 2005.

At the press conference in Garden Royale yesterday, the solon, with Assistant Commissioner Jaime Santiago, appealed to delinquent taxpayers to avail of tax amnesty to have worry-free holiday season.

"Those who want to avail, we will make it as easy as possible for you," Suarez said.

In implementing the Tax Amnesty Law, the BIR with the Department of Finance, Land Registration Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, Securities and Exchange Commission, Land Transportation Office and other government agencies will institute an Information Management Program for the effective use of information declared or obtainable from tax amnesty returns and statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

Under the Revenue Assurance Project, the BIR will also ask assistance from local government units in ensuring the usefulness of information from TARs and SALNs.

"To ensure the efficiency and accuracy of the IMP, all of these agencies will share and submit the necessary data and information that will be requested by the DOF for the purpose, as soon as they are available," Santiago said.*NLG

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