ONE of the lawyers of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel has been sued with a P12.32 million tax evasion before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Atty. Jesus “Jesse” Santos, a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Government Service Insurance System, is being charged with violating Section 254 of the National Internal Revenue Code or attempting to evade or defeat taxes and for failing to supply correct and accurate information to the Bureau of Internal Revenue for 2006 to 2009.

Santos is the third member of the GSIS board of trustees to be charged for tax evasion. He is also the lawyer of fugitive Gen. (retired) Jovito Palparan.

The case against Santos stemmed from an inquiry conducted by the Senate committee on finance on the excessive salaries and unwarranted bonuses and allowances of appointees in Government Owned and Controlled Corporations and Government Financial Institutions in 2010.

BIR records showed that Santos received from GSIS P4.19 million in 2006, P4.90 million in 2007, P7.39 million in 2008 and P8.18 million in 2009 in his capacity as member of the GSIS Board of Trustees. In contrast, he only declared P1.18 million, P1.28 million, P0.84 million and P0.83 million in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.

He is being sued for a total deficiency tax of P12.32 million, including surcharges and interests, broken down as follows: P2.47 million-2006; P2.62 million-2007; P3.52 million-2008; and P3.72million-2009.