BOC eyes smuggling raps vs cigarette firm

MANILA, Philippines - Mighty Corp. is also facing charges of smuggling aside from tax evasion and economic sabotage being mulled by the government.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) said yesterday it is readying charges of smuggling against those behind the shipments of Mighty cigarettes bearing fake tax stamps seized in successive raids in Pampanga, General Santos, Cebu and Tacloban.

The BOC’s legal service is building a case against those behind the importation of the cigarettes authorities described as “counterfeit.” However, the BOC would have to hold off further inspection of Mighty Corp. warehouses as a Manila court issued yesterday a temporary restraining order (TRO) on BOC raids.

Last week, the BOC and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) confiscated 11,044 master cases of Mighty cigarettes worth P215 million in General Santos City and 62,200 master cases valued at P1.98 billion in San Simon, Pampanga.

Earlier this week, BOC seized three more containers carrying Mighty cigarettes in the Port of Cebu and in Tacloban in an operation led by Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon himself.

He said the boxes were reported to be part of several shipments of Mighty cigarettes bearing fake tax stamps.

In a statement, the BOC said it has the authority to seize smuggled cigarette packs with fake tax stamps found at storage facilities or in the domestic market pursuant to the agency’s border security mandate under Executive Order No. 127.

It also cited the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, which gives the bureau jurisdiction over imported articles until after payment of duties, taxes and other charges.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said there is no basis yet to arrest Mighty Corp. owner Alexander Wongchuking, who appeared before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the DOJ last Tuesday.

In a statement, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II stressed that Wongchuking was not arrested despite a reported arrest order by President Duterte for the continuing crime of economic sabotage.

“Why was he not arrested? At the time of our meeting yesterday (Tuesday), there were no cases filed against Mr. Alex Wongchuking yet, that is why I did not order his arrest,” he explained.  –  Mary Grace Padin, Miriam Desacada