BIR still identifying fake stamps, cigarettes owner

BACOLOD. BIR-Region 12 Director Antonio Jonathan Jaminola holds some of the fake cigarettes seized during the raid at a storage facility in Barangay Tangub, Bacolod City on Tuesday. (Photo by Erwin P. Nicavera)
BACOLOD. BIR-Region 12 Director Antonio Jonathan Jaminola holds some of the fake cigarettes seized during the raid at a storage facility in Barangay Tangub, Bacolod City on Tuesday. (Photo by Erwin P. Nicavera)

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)-Region 12 is still identifying the owner of over half a billion pesos worth of fake tax stamps and cigarettes seized in a facility in Barangay Tangub in Bacolod City on Tuesday afternoon, its top official said.

BIR-Region 12 Director Antonio Jonathan Jaminola said it will take time to determine the owner of the facility that was uncovered with raw and packaging materials for manufacturing of fake cigarettes.

Jaminola said the agency has yet to ask the City Assessor's office for possible information that could lead to the property owner.

"We will also tap the barangay council if they have issued any permit to the facility operating within their jurisdiction," he said, adding that for now, they don't have any lead on the identity of the owner.

An initial P544 million worth of fake revenue stamps were confiscated during the raid conducted in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine Army and the barangay council.

Authorities conducted the raid by virtue of a mission order and acting on the tip they received that the establishment allegedly manufactures fake cigarettes.

During the raid, however, they discovered a storage facility containing boxes of fake BIR documentary stamps, packaging materials and some raw materials used in cigarette production.

It initially yielded 29 boxes of fake tax stamps.

Each box contains an average of 500,000 pieces of fake documentary stamps worth P37.50 per piece or P18.75 million per box.

The confiscated documentary stamps were verified to be fake as these contain the same serial number.

In the Philippines, all cigarettes must have a tax stamp outside the case.

The use of fake tax stamps is a violation of the National Internal Revenue Code, specifically Section 265, or the Offenses Relating to Stamps.

Under which, any person who is making, importing, selling, using or possessing without express authority from the commissioner, any die for printing or making stamps, labels, tags or playing cards, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of P5 million to P10 million and imprisonment of five to eight years.

Aside from fake BIR documentary stamps, the two delivery trucks containing raw and packaging materials for cigarette manufacturing will also be confiscated by the government.

During the operation, authorities also opened another truck parked in front of the gate of the facility.

There, they discovered more boxes, some containing fake tax stamps and at least four brands of ready-to-sell cigarettes.

Jaminola earlier said they can now conclude that the owner of the facility, whom they have yet to identify, is selling fake cigarettes based on the “finished products” confiscated from the truck.

They cannot yet be certain where the actual manufacturing takes place.

Jaminola said the inventory of all items to be confiscated is still ongoing.

As of this writing, they do not have the total amount of the seized products yet as well as the volume of the seized fake cigarettes.

Aside from using fake stamps, the owner may also face tax evasion charges “because there are already unregistered goods” and those for other violations under the tax revenue code.

"We need to identify first the owner before we can file the case," he said, adding that the owner will be given due process.

The owner will be given the chance to explain and be asked if he or she really owns the facility and what are the activities being conducted there.

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