The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) filed on Thursday P168.2-million criminal and tax evasion charges against the corporate secretary of controversial religious group KAPA Community Ministry International Inc.
The complaint, filed before the Department of Justice, named as respondent Reyna Apolinario, the wife of KAPA President and head Pastor Joel Apolinario.
The bureau said Reyna did not declare her sources of income amounting to P307.70 million for taxable year 2017, which included cash amounting to P140.00 million; luxury vehicles, P27.60 million; heavy equipment, P65.70 million; real properties, P45.10 million; and other assets/investments.
The BIR said Reyna did not also declare her sources of income amounting to P9.18 million for taxable year 2018, as well as nine vehicles registered under her name.
“Information from the BIR’s Integrated Tax System shows that Reyna has 13 businesses under her name consisting of retail construction materials/garments/metals, gasoline stations and convenience stores, computer and printing services, quarry, convention center, fishing boat, bakeshop and refreshment, media and marketing network, and hotel,” the bureau added.
As a result of her acts and omissions, Reyna was sued for an estimated total income tax liability amounting to P168.2 million, inclusive of surcharges and interests broken down into P163.9 million in 2017 and P4.3 million in 2018.
The Securities and Exchange Commission issued a cease and desist order against KAPA in February this year and revoked its certification of incorporation in April after it
was found to have been soliciting investments from the public without license, and that its investment scheme qualifies as a fraud and a Ponzi scheme.
This pushed President Rodrigo Duterte to order the arrest of KAPA officials.