Senator Bam Aquino on Thursday called on the government to take decisive action to safeguard micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from harassment and corruption, warning that abusive practices threaten livelihoods and create fear among small business owners.
“Iyong maliliit na negosyante, sila iyong pinaka-natatakot kapag nilalapitan sila. Our micro and small enterprises. Feeling nila, walang mapuntahan, walang mahingan ng tulong,” Aquino said during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee inquiry into alleged misuse of Letters of Authority (LOAs) and Mission Orders (MOs) by Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) personnel.
“Sila iyong pinakatakot na takot kapag merong nangongorap po sa kanila,” he added.
Aquino said he has received numerous complaints from MSMEs and business chambers nationwide regarding extortion and harassment by BIR personnel using LOAs, noting that some LOAs may be fake or issued by rogue officials.
“Kung may natanggap na LOA na wala naman sa listahan ito, hindi ‘yon totoong LOA. May nag-i-scam sa inyo,” he said.
To address the problem, Aquino proposed public disclosure of all issued LOAs for verification, stronger audit oversight, and a random audit system to prevent repeated targeting.
He praised BIR Commissioner Charlie Mendoza for requiring all LOAs to be approved at the commissioner level.
“In the previous campaign this year, sa lahat po ng naikutan ko, local chamber, Philippine chamber, Chinese chamber, ito man ay sa probinsiya o dito sa siyudad, grabe talagang ang complaints ng mga negosyante pagdating sa BIR at sa LOA. Paulit-ulit po yan. Iyong mga LOA, iyong mga assessment, walang basehan,” Aquino said.
Aquino authored and sponsored the Go Negosyo Act (RA 10644), which aims to support MSMEs through easier access to markets and financing, training programs, and simplified registration processes.