Bureau of Customs (BOC) officials led by Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno will be front and center during the House Committee on Ways and Means' investigation on the seeming resurgence of large-scale tobacco smuggling, as well as its impact on public health and national revenues.

Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Romero "Miro" Quimbo confirmed in a statement Thursday, Jan. 15 the list of invited personalities to the high-stakes inquiry.

Quimbo last week filed House Resolution (HR) No. 636, which sought a congressional probe into the PNP's confiscation on New Year's Eve in Batangas and Malabon of a total of 32 trucks allegedly carrying smuggled cigarettes worth approximately ₱2.6 billion.

Summoned to attend the panel hearing aside from Nepomuceno were BOC Deputy Commissioners Romeo Allan Rosales (Intelligence Group), Nolasco Bathan (Enforcement), Agaton Teodoro Uvero (Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group), Revsee Escobedo (Management Information Systems and Technology Group), Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip Maronilla Post Clearance Audit Group), Port of Manila District Collector Alexander Gerard Alviar, Port of Batangas District Collector Carmelita Talusan, and Manila International Container Port District Collector Rizalino Jose Torralba.

Nepomuceno himself had ordered an investigation into the resurgence of smuggling amid reports of the involvement of some officials of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS).

The BOC head honcho has also already relieved of the chief of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) at the Port of Manila (POM), Intelligence Officer III Paul Oliver Pacunayen.

Pacunayen and CIIS Director Thomas Narcise were among the officials mentioned in a letter sent to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. by customs officials, employees and stakeholders last December 11.

The letter also mentioned a customs broker, who was earlier identified in a Senate report as a major agricultural smuggler operating in the Port of Subic, Manila International Container Port, Port of Manila, Port of Batangas, and Port of Cebu.

“The Port of Manila, as the country’s primary international gateway, has reportedly become a focal point for the entry of regulated, prohibited, or undeclared goods, including agricultural products, counterfeit items, illicit cigarettes, motor vehicles, vape products, and other regulated commodities,” it said.

Quimbo has said the PNP Highway Patrol Group's (HPG) apprehension of the smuggled cigarettes "confirms that organized cigarette smuggling remains a serious national problem that requires urgent action."

According to the veteran lawmaker, the intercepted items correspond to ₱875.16 million in tax revenues that the government would otherwise have collected based on the 2026 tax rate.

He noted that the government has lost an estimated ₱25.5 billion in excise taxes due to illicit tobacco trade in 2023 alone, based on a report of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

The House probe will review current enforcement systems, coordination among agencies, and existing penalties to determine if these remain enough to deter large-scale illicit tobacco trade.