JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has formally asked the Bureau of Internal Revenue to investigate controversial Filipino-Chinese gambling operator Charlie “Atong” Ang and his company Meridien Vista Gaming Corp. for possible tax violations.
In a letter dated May 2, Aguirre asked BIR Commissioner Cesar Dulay to look into the matter, saying his office had the authority to do so in cases where the Tax Code might have been possibly violated.
“Pursuant to the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended, the Department is hereby seeking the assistance of the BIR, as the administrator of the supervisory and police power conferred by the NIRC and other laws as well as within the powers conferred to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to initiate investigations for possible violations of the country’s tax laws of Mr. Charlie Ang and Meridien Vista Gaming Corp.,” Aguirre said in his letter to Dulay.
“I trust that greater cooperation and confidence between the Department of Justice and the BIR will be forthcoming in our government’s efforts to curb corruption and criminality in the country, particularly in cases of tax evasion,” the Justice secretary stressed.
Aguirre earlier said Ang was running a gambling business through his company without paying taxes to the government and that Meridien also lacked a franchise to operate as a Small Town Lottery unit by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
The DoJ chief earlier ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate and conduct a case buildup against Ang on his accusation he and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon were planning to kill him.
Ang has accused Aguirre of wanting to eliminate him so his brother, Engineer Ogie Aguirre, will have unhampered control of STL operations from Batangas to the Bicol region.
He also claimed the PCSO wanted Meridien stopped because of conflicts with the STL operations.
Aguirre denied Ang’s claim and, on Wednesday, defended his brother, saying he was not engaged in illegal gambling operations.
However, Aguirre confirmed his brother was getting an STL franchise from the PCSO.
“My brother is not engaged in any illegal gambling operations. He and his colleagues want to enter as a legal STL franchisee of the PCSO. Unlike Atong Ang, their activity is legal,” Aguirre said in a television interview.
He also said the operations of Meridien outside of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority is illegal due to Executive Order No. 13 (Strengthening the Fight Against Illegal Gambling and Clarifying the Jurisdiction and Authority of Concerned Agencies in the Regulation and Licensing of Gambling and Online Gaming Facilities and Other Purposes) issued by President Rodrigo Duterte last Feb. 2.
The EO, according to Aguirre, gave the PCSO the sole authority to run gaming operations through the STL outside of CEZA, Aurora Pacific Economic and Freeport Zone Authority and the Authority of Freeport Area of Bataan.
Police raided the gambling dens of Ang’s Meredien Corporation in the towns of Penablanca and Enrile as well as in Tuguegarao city, all in Cagayan, last month where more than 60 people were apprehended for being involved in jueteng operations.
The raiding team also seized computer units during the operation.