MikeLigalig.com

By Nikko Dizon
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Joel Mendez, who touts himself as a celebrity doctor, was sentenced by the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) to two to four years in prison with a fine of P20,000 for two separate tax evasion cases filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in 2006.

“This may appear to be a small case in the sense that there was only a low penalty. But the signal given here is more than enough. It’s worth the hard work if you really tell people you can’t get away with violation of the tax revenue code and the anti-smuggling laws,” Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said at a press conference.

Also at the news briefing were Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, BIR Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares and Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez.

Purisima noted that the Mendez case was one of the first tax evasion cases filed after the Department of Finance launched the Run Against Tax Evaders (RATE) in 2005, when he was the finance secretary under the Arroyo administration. - pdi