The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), in a show of force against tax evasion and smuggling, executed 76 simultaneous raids across North and Central Luzon on March 2, in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The sweeping operations led to the confiscation of 185,233 packs of untaxed cigarettes, with an estimated tax liability and administrative penalties amounting to a staggering P43 million.
In BIR Revenue Region No. 2 – Cordillera Administrative Region, under Regional Director Joseph M. Catapia, 67 coordinated raids were carried out with Police Regional Offices 1, 2, 3, and Cordillera. Authorities seized 183,558 packs of assorted smuggled cigarette brands from 51 stores, translating to a tax liability of P41,786,250.02, inclusive of penalties.
Meanwhile, in Central Luzon, BIR Revenue Region No. 4 – Central Luzon, led by OIC-Regional Director Saripoden Bantog, together with PNP PRO 3, mounted parallel enforcement actions against retailers of untaxed tobacco products.
Nine establishments were caught in possession of illicit excisable articles, resulting in the seizure of 1,675 packs of untaxed cigarettes with an estimated tax liability of P1,363,271.14.
Store owners found with illicit products now face criminal and administrative charges under the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended, and other applicable laws covering excise taxes, value-added taxes, and graphic health warning compliance.
The March 2 crackdown, following earlier enforcement operations in February, underscores the BIR’s uncompromising stance: smuggling and tax evasion will not be tolerated.
These sustained operations are part of the agency’s nationwide drive to protect public funds, secure government revenues, and ensure that all excisable products in the market are properly taxed.
Under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the BIR is pushing forward the vision of Bagong Pilipinas—a government that is efficient, transparent, and unyielding against corruption.
The intensified raids form a cornerstone of revenue base protection under the BIR’s five-point reform agenda, BIR D.A.R.E.S., and align with Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go’s bold economic reforms designed to strengthen investor confidence, improve ease of doing business, and sustain economic growth.
