MANILA: The Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) en banc has ordered the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) to pay deficiency income tax for 2005 and 2006 amounting to PHP117 million.

The tax court, in its 22-page ruling dated Dec. 22 and written by Associate Justice Lanee S. Cui-David, also ordered Pagcor to pay delinquency interest pursuant to a 2017 Supreme Court ruling which remanded the case back to the CTA for determination of the final amount to be paid by the firm.

The CTA, in compliance with the SC ruling, ordered the gaming regulatory firm, to pay the basic deficiency income tax worth PHP13.11 million and PHP104.9 million for 2005 and 2006, respectively.

The case originally involved assessments issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in 2008 in the aggregate amount of PHP5.927 billion for deficiency income tax, value-added tax, and fringe benefit tax (FBT) for 2005 and 2006.

The SC’s 2017 decision partly granted Pagcor’s suit and canceled the BIR’s assessment representing deficien
cy income tax on its income derived from gaming operations and said Pagcor is only liable to pay deficiency income tax from other related activities for the said period and the FBT.

The SC explained that Republic Act 9337 (Value Added Tax Reform Law) did not repeal the tax privilege granted to Pagcor under Presidential Decree 1869 (Pagcor Franchise Law of 1983) but said RA 9337 withdrew Pagcor’s exemption from corporate income tax on its income derived from other related services previously granted under RA 8424 (Tax Reform Act of 1997).

The high court likewise said FBT is not covered by these exemptions.

Source: Philippines News Agency

COTABATO CITY: A police officer serving as escort of a Maguindanao del Norte mayor was killed during a Moro family feud settlement that turned violent here on Tuesday afternoon.

Colonel Querubin Manalang Jr, city police director, identified the slain police officer as Staff Sgt. Zahraman Diocolano, 39, of the Maguindanao Norte Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC).

Diocolano was detailed as security escort of Mayor Lester Sinsuat of Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao del Norte.

Former board member Datu Bimbo Sinsuat said the incident happened during a family gathering held at the house of former Rep. Ronnie Sinsuat along Rosales Street here to settle a ‘rido’ (family feud) involving Mayor Lester and the family of his late uncle, Datu Jamael Sinsuat.

However, a group of armed men arrived and shot Diocolano, who was outside the compound.

Responding police and members of Philippine Marines arrested the suspects, identified as Army Private 1st Class John Carlo Nocum, 31, a member of the 2nd Mechanized In
fantry Battalion, and three armed individuals.

‘Overall, ten persons were arrested, and 11 firearms were recovered from them,’ Manalang said, adding reason behind the firefight was still being determined.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: Two Americans who have committed crimes involving moral turpitude have been barred from entering the country, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Wednesday.

In a statement, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the foreigners as 39-year-old Zachary Tyler Thompson and 46-year-old Paul Neal Coltharp, both of whom were intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 on different occasions.

Thompson arrived on board a Philippine Airlines from Los Angeles, California on Monday.

He was convicted in 2013 and 2015 for possessing obscene materials depicting a minor in sexual conduct and for annoying or molesting a child under 18 years of age.

Coltharp, meanwhile, was intercepted on Dec. 27, 2023 after arriving aboard an Eva Air flight from Taipei.

According to the US government, a California court convicted Coltharp of child molestation in 1998 wherein the victim is a 14-year-old girl.

Tansingco said both were immediately excluded and flown back to their port of origi
n.

They were likewise included in the BI blacklist of undesirable aliens.

He explained that as registered sex offenders, both Thompson and Coltharp are excludable aliens under the immigration act that forbids the entry of aliens convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude.

Source: Philippines News Agency

COTABATO CITY: Four contaminated water sources triggered dehydration and eventually led to the death of five persons, four of them minors, after an outbreak of diarrhea in a remote village in Maguindanao del Sur, officials said Wednesday.

Fuad Samola, municipal disaster risk reduction and management council officer of Talayan, Maguindanao del Sur, said the victims have been drinking water taken from four water pumps, locally known as ‘poso,’ in Barangay Tamar.

‘Of the fatalities, four were minors aged 2, 3, 5, and 15,’ he said, adding that the fifth fatality was a 40-year-old man.

Since Dec. 31, he said, the victims successively experienced severe stomach pain, dizziness, and nausea.

“We rushed them to various hospitals for treatment,’ Samola said, adding that about 10 patients currently remained under observation by doctors.

He said the municipal health office has cordoned off the four water pumps, all located in Sitio Sinindulan, Barangay Tamar.

About 100 families in the community have been benefiting
from the water pumps located near the Talayan River.

Authorities believe that the water sources were contaminated as the locals dispose of their garbage, wash clothes, kitchen utensils, and farm tools, and even discharge human waste into the river.

Dr. Mohammad Ariff Baguindali, head of the Maguindanao del Sur Integrated Provincial Health Office, confirmed in a radio interview Wednesday that the water sources were contaminated.

Samola said residents were also barred from taking water from other natural sources, as the local government distributed mineral water to affected families.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The new year ushers in big cheers for Philippine Athletics as Foton, one of its corporate partners and key supporter, formalized its donation of a Foton Traveller van in a simple turnover ceremony at the PhilSports Complex in Pasig City.

The Foton Traveller van will be the official vehicle of the Philippine Athletics. This is the second time Foton Motor Philippines has donated a van to the sports association.

Rommel Sytin, president of Foton Motor Philippines, awarded the symbolic key to Philippine Athletics officials, led by president Terry Capistrano.

“On behalf of the Philippine Athletics, I convey our sincerest appreciation to Foton Motor Philippines and Mr. Rommel Sytin for their generosity. Mr. Sytin is part of the Philippine Athletics in its board. More than that he is a true friend and staunch supporter of the federation,” Capistrano said in a statement on Wednesday.

Sytin said he looks forward for a stronger partnership with Philippine Athletics in developing ‘future sports heroes who wil
l bring honor to the country.’

Also present during the turnover ceremony were Foton Motor Philippines general manager Levi Santos and executive Timothy Sytin, and Philippine Athletics special assistant to the president, Reli de Leon and secretary general Edward Kho.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Wednesday reported a ‘significant’ increase in applications for consolidation in public transportation.

In a statement, the DOTr attributed the increase in applications to a resolution from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) that allowed applicants to beat the deadline without payment of necessary fees.

However, it called on these applicants to settle these fees for them to be included in the final consolidation report.

‘In the meantime that the figures are being finalized, all unconsolidated PUVs (public utility vehicles) may continue operating until January 31, 2024. The LTFRB will issue an appropriate resolution to give effect to this instruction,’ the DOTr said.

Under LTFRB Memorandum Circular (MC) 2023-051 signed on Dec. 14, 2023, all consolidated transport service entities and individual operators with filed applications for consolidation before the deadline are allowed to continue operating under their existing provisi
onal authority (PA).

However, all PAs issued to individual operators that have not filed for consolidation are deemed ‘revoked’ effective January 2024 and their previously authorized PUVs are now unregistered.

Last Dec. 29, LTFRB Technical Division chief Joel Bolano said more than 60 percent of PUVs have so far consolidated into cooperatives or corporations.

Bolano assured that a transport crisis will not happen in 2024 as special permits will be issued to allow PUVs to ply routes where there are no consolidated operators.

These special permits will be issued to consolidated operators in other routes that are capable of dispatching more PUVs, as well as unconsolidated operators but only until Jan. 31.

Source: Philippines News Agency