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Friday, March 29, 2024

Mighty’s closure seen to hurt 55,000 tobacco farmers in PH

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Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos will be affected if the government makes good on its threat to close down homegrown tobacco company Mighty Corp., according to a top executive.

Retired judge Oscar Barrientos, now the executive vice president and spokesman of the beleaguered homegrown firm, said about 7,000 Filipino employees, 55,000 tobacco farmers and their estimated 350,000 family members and dependents were relying on MC for livelihood.

“We call on the Bureau of Internal Revenue to act more responsibly in making statements regarding the case of MC and take into consideration the repercussions of a cancellation of the license to operate of the company,” Barrientos said.

“The BIR should consider that this case impacts Mighty’s employees, tobacco farmers and their families, as well as suppliers and distributors who depend on the company,” he said.

Barrientos also called on the government to ensure due process for Mighty as it faces charges of tax evasion.

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“We reiterate our pledge to fully cooperate with the government. But while we welcome the filing of these charges as an opportunity to clear the name of the company and its officers, we hope the BIR will also show prudence in the conduct of its probe of the firm,” Barrientos said.

Mario Cabasal, president of the National Federation of Tobacco Farmers Associations and Cooperatives, said tobacco farmers would bear the biggest impact once MC’s operation was shut.

“Most of us depend on Mighty for the purchase of our tobacco. They are our biggest buyer of local tobacco. If the government makes good on its threat to close down Mighty, tobacco farmers will bear the brunt of the closure,” Cabasal said.

He said Mighty was a regular buyer of Virginia and native tobacco. Cabasal said considering that the company was producing predominantly low-priced brands, it was also the biggest buyer of local tobacco.

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