By Jun Ramirez A Tacloban City businessman was charged on Thursday with P213-million tax evasion case by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for alleged possession of large cache of fake cigarettes. Bureau of Internal Revenue (MANILA BULLETIN) In a criminal complaint filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ), BIR prosecutors named the respondent as Paul Cartel Radam, proprietor of Paul Radam Realty and PR Petron Filling Stations in Tacloban City. The case stemmed from the seizure of more than 1,200 master cases or about 60,000 cartons of fake cigarettes with counterfeit revenue stamps during a raid conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) at Radam’s warehouse in Barangay Nula-Tula, Tacloban City. Possession of the Fake cigarettes and the revenue stamps violates Sections 263 and 265 of the Tax Code of the Philippines. “As a consequence of the criminal act, the accused evaded payment of correct tax and is liable to pay an aggregate deficiency excise in the total amount of P213 million, inclusive of increments,” the BIR stated. Meanwhile, the BIR also filed a separate tax evasion case against the operator of a security agency based in Iligan City for alleged refusal to settle tax debts totaling more than P17 million for the years 2010 and 2011. Named in the complaint was Anne Gil Rachel Labao, proprietress of San Miguel Protective Security, of Corpus Christi Village, Iligan City. The complaint stated that Labao was served with various tax collection notices which she allegedly ignored. “The respondent's failure and continued refusal to settle the long overdue deficiency taxes constitute willful failure to pay the taxes due the government,” the BIR added.