MANILA - The Bureau of Internal Revenue denies a newspaper report that BIR employees plan to resign en masse as an act of protest against the incoming Duterte administration.

In a letter addressed to the Daily Tribune's editor-in-chief, BIR Public Information and Education Division chief Reymari De La Cruz said there is no reason for them to quit their posts despite president-elect Rodrigo Duterte's statement that the BIR is one of the three most corrupt agencies in government.

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"While we may have been hurt by the statements of President-elect Duterte, said statements are not enough reasons for us to resign and abandon our mandate to collect taxes for nation-building," BIR employees said.

They added that Deputy Commissioner Lilia Guillermo was not interviewed by the Tribune. The newspaper earlier quoted Guillermo as saying she will comply if asked to tender a courtesy resignation.

"We ask that MR. ED VELASCO be more circumspect in what he is writing especially if it involves an institution as critical as the BIR in terms of generating the funds to support government and to sustain a strong country."