The public can now report errant tax and customs officials and personnel with just a few taps of their fingertips, as the Department of Finance (DOF) launched an anti-corruption website in support of the latest directive by the President on flushing out grafters from the bureaucracy.
The DOF said in a statement yesterday that the Information against Corruption Page is accessible under the Advocacies/Anti-Corruption menu of the DOF website, and it allows the public to submit any information they may have against officers and personnel of the DOF and its attached agencies like the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) who might own properties or live lifestyles grossly disproportionate to their lawful incomes.
The DOF said this initiates the power of the secretary of finance under Executive Order No. 259 series of 2003 to investigate such information, submit the findings to the Office of the Ombudsman, and ask for the criminal prosecution and dismissal from the service of errant officials and personnel.
Traditionally, any information on suspected corruption needs to be reported to the DOF face to face, but with the ongoing pandemic, the agency said this online tool allows the public to safely submit information directly to the DOF through their mobile devices.
Though not officially a part of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Mega Task Force created a few weeks ago to investigate graft, the DOF said it has always heeded the call of the President to curb corruption, through its Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS) team.
