[Trending Now] MUST READ: Graft Case Filed Against Aquino and Purisima Over Shell Tax Controversy

Graft and other criminal charges was filed by two former officials of the Bureau of Customs together with a newspaper publisher against President Benigno Aquino III and ex-Fianance Secretary Cesar Purisima, September 14. 

Charges were filed to Aquino and Purisima for their failure to collect some P100 billion worth of taxes from Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. (PSPC) for shipments of gasoline from the year 2004 to 2009.

Complainants in the graft case filed against Noynoy are former Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales, former BOC district collector Juan Tan, and Headlines News Today publisher Lourdes Aclan, accusing Aquino and Purisima of ignoring the failure of PSPC to pay the billion billion taxes unpaid supposed to be used as budget of the government.

Aquino and Purisima was charged for violating Section 3(e) and 4 of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Section 10 of RA 9851 in relation to Executive Order No. 226 or the Institutionalization of the Doctrine of Command Responsibility in all government offices, and Sections 3601 and 3604 of the Tariff and Customs Code or known as 'smuggling.'

Complainants said that the former President Noy is suit liable for the filed cases for he have direct control and supervision over all government officials during the time of controversy in the taxes of Shell.

Other people charged were PSPC Chairman and President Edgar Chua, Vice President for Communications Robert Kanapi, Country Tax Manager Nigel Avila and other John Does.

The case filed was the fifth against PNoy since he stepped down from the presidential position last June 30. He is facing three other complaints with regards to Mamasapano incident and the issue about Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

Source: TNP , GMANetwork