Top officials of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) met with executives of tobacco companies in the country and discussed strategies in further improving the fight against illegal tobacco trade amid the proliferation of smuggled cigarettes in the country.
BOC Commissioner Bien Rubio was with Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) Director Verne Enciso and Intellectual Property Rights Division (IPRD) Chief Paul Oliver Pacunayen when he met officials of the Philip Morris International (PMI) and Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. (PMFTC).
BOC Commissioner Bien Rubio leads the meeting with top executives of tobacco companies in the country which was aimed at crafting strategies to address illegal tobacco trade in the country. Joining Rubio were Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) Director Verne Enciso Intellectual Property Rights Division (IPRD) Chief Paul Oliver Pacunayen. (photo: BOC)
“Illegal traders who attempt to gamble with our laws will find our Customs agents are one step ahead of them. That has always been our goal and our mandate—to put these smugglers away and make them accountable, answerable and ultimately, face the consequences of what they do,” Rubio said.
“So, in this meeting, we identified the gaps in our strategies. These groups have been very creative and aggressive in entering our markets so our cooperation with tobacco companies is aimed at answering these with even more comprehensive methods to intercept their modus,” he added.
The BOC, PMI, and PMFTC expressed their commitment to work closely together, sharing intelligence and expertise to effectively combat the illicit trade of tobacco.
“The collaboration aims to create a formidable alliance against those involved in these illegal activities, ensuring the integrity of the tobacco industry and promoting a fair and competitive market,” said Rubio.
Philip Morris was represented by Rodney Van Dooren, head of PMI’s Illicit Trade Prevention; Erdie Ambrocio, PMFTC Illicit Trade Prevention Manager for Luzon; and Steve Lamosao, PMFTC Illicit Trade Prevention Executive for Visayas.
During the meeting, the BOC received commendation for its recent operation in Indanan, Sulu, where 19,000 cases of alleged smuggled cigarettes—with an estimated market value of P1.425 billion—were seized.
The operation stemmed from the intelligence build-up by retired military general and now BOC Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy.
Rubio also reiterated the bureau's commitment to safeguarding the nation's borders and upholding its core mandates, as reflected by aggressive operations that were all aimed at preventing the entry of illicit tobacco products into the country, and eventually safeguard public health, and protect legitimate businesses.
Top Customs officials led by Commissioner Bien Rubio pose with executives of tobacco companies in the country after meeting that discussed strategies to address illegal tobacco trade in the country. (photo: BOC)
Enciso, for his part, said the discussion mainly focused on addressing the proliferation of illicit tobacco products in the market.
“It is important for us to recognize that these are not only very real threats, but that there are well-orchestrated plans aimed at circumventing our laws. Our cooperation with companies and organizations put in place proper mechanisms to secure our borders and curb the illicit trade of tobacco,” said Enciso.
Uy, on the other hand, emphasized how working together with the private sector and organizations can help the bureau’s intelligence division.
“For the part of the intelligence community, our work involved combing through the many pieces of information we receive and making sure we act in as swift a way as possible. But it also behooves us to analyze the data accurately so that when it comes to prosecuting these individuals and groups, there is no loophole they can use,” Uy said.