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I am not a corrupt official – Gandarosa

October 28, 2008

By Lizanilla J. Amarga
Embattled local Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) director Mustapha Gandarosa yesterday debunked charges that he is a corrupt official who is taking advantage of his position as a high-ranking local revenue collector to fatten up his own personal pockets by harassing local traders.
He pointed out that he has no vices, don’t socialize and dont need to ask financial help as his family has been “blessed already” even when he was a kid as he grew up with parents “who have fortunes in life.”
Gandarosa said he worked for no less than 13 years in the Middle East based in Riyadh and Jeddah all in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the government’s Revenue Attache and was highly paid in dollars.
“I have even kept a dollar account in Saudi Arabia until now enough to enjoy the remainder of my life,” his letter to Gold Star Daily reads.
Gandarosa came under fire when local business organizations accused him of harassing them and even wrote Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo a letter requesting that this revenue director be replaced. These businesspeople initiated a “Sera Protesta” last Oct. 22 which resulted to the temporary closure of a number of huge malls and department stores while other business establishments posted streamers reading “No to BIR Harassment.”
But Gandarosa further defended himself by saying that if he was indeed a corrupt official he would not have been able to bring the local revenue district’s collection
performance to rank as part of the top three BIR district offices nationwide for the last three years since he took over its reigns last June 16, 2006.
He said it was during his time that the region received an award from the national office recognizing their local BIR clients as outstanding taxpayers citing as examples Bukidnon government represented by Governor Jose Ma. Zubiri and UKC Builders, Inc. represented by Dodong Uy.
“This is first to happen that the national office has recognized two outstanding taxpayers from Mindanao,” he said.
Gandarosa said he was even previously assigned in Gingoog City and was at least able to increase collection up to 127 percent in his first year and later was able to increase tax collection in Bukidnon from P33 million to over P100 million within the span of two years.
In Cagayan de Oro City, he said he was able to increase collections up to 339 percent through the institution of tax reforms and initiated a full stop to any spending he deemed as unnecessary from Christmas parties, anniversary celebrations and monthly staff meetings among others.
“These are my proud legacies that I want people in the region to remember me. I am a dedicated servant and I cannot allow that my detractors would only destroy my good reputation, just because they don’t want to pay their taxes fairly,” he said.

Written by admin · Filed Under Cagayan de Oro 

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