Why the fuss over waivers?

I can’t understand why they are making all this fuss about signing waivers and all that so government agencies can poke into the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth of government officials, especially the elective ones, and those in the judiciary. Has it not been disclosed that the standard form being accomplished for the SALN declaration itself has a built-in waiver that authorizes such probes into it?

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I think even those accomplishing the SALN form had not given the portion much attention although they all signed it. It was only when Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales was called to the witness stand during the impeachment trial of ex-Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, that this was underscored. When Morales was questioned as to what authorized her to peek into the SALNs of Corona, she righteously pointed out that her authority came from the one who accomplished the form, having affixed his signature to it. So what’s the problem – would the “waiver” not be just a duplication, or a show by those who made a big to-do of having issued such waivers?

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No wonder President Aquino does not seem inclined to issue that waiver. He knows that if there is something that probers want to question about his assets, liabilities and net worth, all they have to do is take out his accomplished SALN and that’s that. It seems to me only the Supreme Court had a policy about SALN secrecy before their own boss was felled by his SALN. But we can expect that officials will now be more meticulous and accurate when they fill up their SALN forms. If that document can cut down the career of a Chief Justice, what can it do to a lesser light in the government?

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We can also expect some clever officials to find ways of going around the SALN requirements so they need not “tell all”. I heard that some of them do not deposit their income from other sources in the banks until after the filing period, so it will not be reflected among their bank deposits. There are many ways of killing a cat, as the saying goes, you know. That is also being done, I hear, by those who want to avoid paying taxes – they do not collect rentals or other amounts due from their business until filing time is over.

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But hedging taxes is more dangerous, especially with someone like Madame Kim Henares heading the Bureau of Internal Revenue. I am sure many millionaires are now cracking their heads on how they can go about reducing their tax liabilities. They should take a lesson from that businessman in Athens, Greece, whose housemaid robbed him of some 3.5 million in Euros. When he reported the theft to the police and it was publicized, the Greek tax agency swooped down on him and demanded the payment of proper taxes on the amount that, apparently had not been declared.

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As the wire report narrated it, the police were able to track down the maid, but only half of the money was recovered from her. The other half she had sent to her family in another country, and it had probably been distributed or spent already. So now the businessman has to pay taxes, as well as penalties, on the full amount, although he only had half of it back, with no chance for the dishonest helper to pay him. The lesson: If you have not declared the money stolen from you, think twice before reporting its loss, because some eager-beaver in the BIR may pounce on you.

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I can just imagine how electric the air in Las Vegas must be today, the eve of the much-awaited Pacquiao-Bradley fight. I’m sure the Pacquiao team will follow their usual program of having mass before and after the fight, with hundreds of Pinoys from all over the U.S. and nearby countries flocking to the city to watch. No wonder the businessmen and even the mayor of Las Vegas love Manny. His fights always bring a lot of tourists who spend and leave their money in the casinos.

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I had a bad experience at the Savemore mart at the Libertad area yesterday where we bought some supplies for the STARPrint anniversary party. When we came out, a white Honda City car with Plate No. TRY 998 had parked on the road, right behind our vehicle that was in the parking area. The driver was nowhere to be found, and despite several announcements on the public address system, failed to appear for a long time. It later turned out to be a female driver who tried to be righteous claiming that we had taken her parking site! I had to tell her that even unlettered drivers know that it is a violation to park and block others, and leave their vehicle. It was very annoying because we had several other appointments. I should have asked to see if she had a driver’s license. As for the Savemore guards, they said they only watch inside the store, and had no perimeter guards! No guards for such a big establishment? Maybe the company wants to save more and more and more by not hiring perimeter guards?*

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