Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima assured that the Aquino government will not agree to a compromise with tax evaders and smugglers as the new administration plans to raise revenues without burdening Filipinos with new taxes.

Purisima, whose term as finance chief started last week, said the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Customs have pledged to file complaints against identified tax-evaders and smugglers to the public prosecutor on a weekly basis.

“There will be no compromise and it is not business as usual. Conviction is a tool to change behavior and to make sure a clear signal is sent. The only way to change the behavior of people is to prosecute,” Purisima told reporters.

Aside from tax evaders and smugglers, Purisima said the government will also file reports against some corrupt state revenue collectors and will review all cases and complaints that were previously filed.

Bureau of Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez, said the bureau will name two big-time smugglers every two weeks and file cases against them as part of the effort to meet the agency's revenue target of P280 billion.

Alvarez, however, admitted that despite his 20 years experience dealing with the Customs, he would still need more time to start the campaign against smugglers as he is still new in the job.

Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Henares, meanwhile, said the main-tax agency also plans to file a case against tax cheats twice a month.

“What we plan is to revive the [run after tax evaders] RATE program. Our target is to file a case every two weeks or twice a month,” Henares said.

A brainchild of Purisima during his first stint as finance chief in 2005, the RATE is a campaign against delinquent taxpayers including celebrities and big businessmen.