Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo is seeking a congressional inquiry into the rising incidence of large-scale tobacco smuggling and its impact on public health and government revenues.
In filing House Resolution 636, Quimbo cited the seizure of 32 trucks last January 1, 2026 carrying allegedly smuggled cigarettes valued at approximately ₱2.6 billion.
The Philippine National Police intercepted the trucks in coordinated operations in Batangas and Malabon.
The lawmaker said the seizure confirms that organized cigarette smuggling remains a serious national problem that requires urgent action.
Because smuggled goods avoid taxation, Quimbo, as chair of the House committee on ways and means, said the intercepted items correspond to P875.16 million in tax revenue that the government would otherwise have collected following the 2026 tax rate.
In 2023, he said the Bureau of Internal Revenue reported that the government lost an estimated ₱25.5 billion in excise taxes due to illicit tobacco trade.
The Marikeño lawmaker stressed that large-scale tobacco smuggling weakens both public health policy and tax enforcement by keeping cigarette prices artificially low and undermining the intent of sin tax reforms.
Quimbo said if large-scale smuggling is not stopped, the price of cigarettes falls, as the stark price gap between legal and smuggled cigarettes waters down the effect of sin taxes and other health reforms the country has achieved so far.
“And with the continued smuggling of cigarettes, the vice is becoming more accessible to our young and poor countrymen. The government also continues to lose funds for health programs, especially Philhealth,” he added.
Through the resolution, Quimbo said Congress will review current enforcement systems, coordination among agencies, and existing penalties to determine whether they are still adequate to deter the large-scale illicit tobacco trade.
Quimbo said the inquiry should help close regulatory loopholes, tighten oversight across the tobacco supply chain, and ensure smugglers are prosecuted so legitimate businesses can compete fairly.
“While our law enforcement agencies have been vigilant on this case, the magnitude of the issue demonstrates the need for systemic reforms. Smugglers must be prevented from profiting at the expense of public health and taxpayers,” he added.
The resolution calls for the findings of the inquiry to serve as a basis for remedial legislation to reinforce anti-smuggling mechanisms and protect fiscal stability.
