Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla on Thursday said two Central Luzon lawmakers allegedly linked to illicit tobacco manufacturing and trade had tried to reach out to him as authorities intensified operations against illegal cigarette activities.
As this developed, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported the seizure of P39.3 million worth of smuggled cigarettes and dried tobacco products bound for Manila.
In a press conference Thursday, Remulla said: “They (lawmakers) reached out. They already knew. I didn’t even say anything, they already knew who they were. Through their friends, they approached me again.”
“They said they would talk to me, but I don’t want to talk to them yet,” he added.
Remulla said authorities are finalizing the money trail allegedly linking the lawmakers to the illegal trade and are verifying reports against them.
“You know the investigative work. You fill in the blanks. Look at Point A and Point B first. Filling in the blanks is the hard part. How to provide the exact details so they can be accountable to the law,” he said.
Since last week, multiple agencies have conducted 61 simultaneous operations in Pampanga, Cavite, Quezon City, Makati, Batangas, and Laguna, seizing about 45,000 packs of illegal cigarettes with estimated tax liabilities and penalties reaching P40 million, Remulla said.
Meanwhile, the BOC said the latest illegal cigarettes were discovered inside six container vans that arrived from Zamboanga and Bacolod. The shipments were falsely declared as dried fish and general merchandise to evade inspection.
Customs officers found several cigarette brands—including Platinum, Lasa, King Philip, H&P Red Premium, Cannon Menthol, and Modern Brand—as well as hundreds of sacks of dried tobacco concealed in the containers.
The BOC said the products lacked the required Bureau of Internal Revenue tax stamps, graphic health warnings, and proper labels.
The operation was conducted by the BOC’s Intelligence Group and Enforcement Group, together with the Manila International Container Port, in coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Ports Authority, and other law enforcement agencies.
Officials said the joint effort prevented illegal tobacco products from entering the local market as the government steps up its crackdown on the illicit tobacco trade.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Remulla: 2 lawmakers reached out on illegal cigarette trade”
