The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has filed a ₱1.6-billion tax evasion case before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against three dismissed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineers accused of amassing unexplained wealth from allegedly anomalous flood control projects and laundering funds through casinos.
BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. identified the respondents as former DPWH Bulacan 1st District Engineer Henry Alcantara and Assistant Engineers Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza, who allegedly failed to pay income taxes from 2020 to 2024.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson earlier referred to the trio as the “BGC Boys” or Bulacan Group of Contractors, accused of pocketing millions from public works funds.
“Iko-compel natin sila na bayaran ‘yan at hahabulin din natin lahat ng mga ari-arian nila para masigurado na mabayaran ito,” Lumagui said, vowing strict enforcement.
According to the BIR, the case stemmed from lifestyle checks and reviews of the engineers’ Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs), which revealed lavish spending, casino transactions worth hundreds of millions, and assets disproportionate to their declared income.
The case was filed for violations of Sections 254 and 255, in relation to Sections 24(A)(1)(a), 51(A)(1)(a), and 74(A) of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.
Lumagui said this brings to 10 the total number of tax evasion complaints filed this year, covering over ₱8 billion in alleged liabilities.
“Lahat ng mga personalities na involved ay titignan po natin… wala po tayong pipiliin,” he stressed, hinting that more cases may follow as investigations expand.