Rappler CEO Ressa, Ipinatatawag ng DOJ sa P133-M Tax Evasion Complaint!
Inatasan ni Assistant State Prosecutor Zenamar J.L. Machacon-Caparros sina online news network Rappler President Maria Ressa, gayundin ang treasurer nito na si James Bitanga na magsumite ng kanilang counter-affidavit at ilang mga dokumentong kakailanganin ng kanilang panig, kung mayroon man, sa Department of Justice sa darating na Abril 24 at Mayo 7, ulat ng GMA News. Ito ay kaugnay ng isinampang reklamo ng Bureau of Internal Revenue noong nakaraang Marso laban sa kanilang istasyon, hinggil sa umano sa P133,841,305.75 halaga ng tax-evasion nito.
Nauna nang pinabulaanan ni Ressa ang nasabing reklamo at ayon sa kanya, isang uri lamang daw ito ng pananakot at panliligalig. Dagdag pa ni Ressa, nag-aaksaya lamang daw umano ang Gobyerno ng enerhiya at yaman upang umano’y patahimikin ang pamamahayag na hindi papabor sa administrasyon. Ayon pa sa Rappler, maingat, eksakto at nasa oras nilang binabayaran ang ipinapataw sa kanilang buwis.
“You are hereby warned that failure on your part to comply with this subpoena shall be considered as a waiver to present your defense and the case shall be considered submitted for resolution based on the evidence on record,”saad ng DOJ.
Umani naman ng iba’t ibang reaksiyon sa social media ang nasabing balita. May ilang nagsasabing gingipit umano ng pamahalaan ang sinumang hindi sumang-ayon sa mga polisiya nito. Mayroon namang ilang netizens na nagsasabing hindi umano kwalipikado ang istasyon na italaga bilang isa sa mga “fact-checkers” sa Facebook dahil ni hindi raw ito nagbabayad ng tamang buwis.
Assistant State Prosecutor Zenamar J.L. Machacon-Caparros ordered Ressa and Bitanga to submit their counter-affidavit and other supporting documents or affidavits by their witnesses, if any, on April 24 and May 7 at the DOJ office in Manila.
“You are hereby warned that failure on your part to comply with this subpoena shall be considered as a waiver to present your defense and the case shall be considered submitted for resolution based on the evidence on record,” the DOJ said in the subpoena signed April 11.
The BIR on March 8 filed a complaint against Rappler Holdings Corporation (RHC), Ressa, and Bitanga at the DOJ for “willful attempt to evade or defeat tax and for deliberate failure to supply correct and accurate information in its annual income tax return (ITR) and value-added tax (VAT) returns” in 2015.
The bureau alleged that the corporation did not pay income tax and VAT despite supposedly profiting from the sale of Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDR) to two foreign judicial entities in 2015.
“The purchase of shares and the subsequent issuance of the PDRs for profit that transmitted economic rights (e.g. financial returns or cash distributions) derived from the equity of Rappler Inc. to the PDR holders is proof that Rappler Holdings is engaged in purchase of securities and resale thereof,” the BIR’s complaint claimed.
“As a consequence of its acts and omissions, the aggregate tax liability of Rappler Holdings amounted to P133,841,305.75,” it said.
Ressa had said that the complaint was an “intimidation and harassment.”
“The government is wasting its energy and resources in an attempt to silence reporting that does not please the administration,” she had said.
Rappler said it has been paying taxes “accurately, promptly, and diligently.”
The BIR complaint was filed after the Securities and Exchange Commission revoked Rappler’s incorporation papers due to an alleged violation of the constitutional restriction on foreign ownership of media companies.
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[SOURCE]- gma news
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