The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in Cebu destroyed 244,211 packs of counterfeit and unregistered cigarettes worth P15,616,612.09 in tax liabilities on Wednesday, 26 February 2025.

BIR Revenue Region No. 13 Regional Director Douglas Rufino told DAILY TRIBUNE that BIR Cebu City had the fourth-highest number of confiscated illicit cigarettes.

"This operation is sanctioned by Revenue Memorandum No. 33-2024, detailing the uniform guidelines and procedures for the destruction of seized or forfeited articles pursuant to Revenue Regulation No. 14-2024," he said.

"By eliminating these illicit cigarettes, we are protecting the interests of our compliant taxpayers, especially those who pay their correct taxes on time as they are our partners in nation-building," Rufino stressed.

The illicit cigarettes were seized in various operations by the Regional Strike Team in Cebu, including those in Bantayan Islands, Lapu-Lapu City, and Toledo City.

The BIR's tax campaign theme for 2025 is "Buwis na Tapat, Tagumpay Nating Lahat."

As part of this initiative, BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. has intensified the agency's crackdown on illicit cigarette sellers, aiming to uphold tax laws and bring violators to justice.