Senator Pia Cayetano on Wednesday called on the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to strengthen coordination with local government units (LGUs) in cracking down on illegal mobile sellers of excisable goods.

Cayetano made the appeal during the organizational meeting of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means after learning that the BIR had apprehended 377 illegal sellers and confiscated 2,000 cigarette packs and 267,000 milliliters of vapor products.

“I feel like a big part of your success will really be working with LGUs. The LGUs have so much on their plate, but if they know that this is a priority and that the government is losing money and people’s health are being harmed, of course, they’ll cooperate,” Cayetano said.

“So, can I just encourage you to do more coordination with the LGUs?” she added.

The senator noted that in other countries, sin products such as alcohol and tobacco are typically sold in designated establishments. She emphasized that harmful products should be strictly regulated and that illegal mobile operations should be banned.

Excisable articles, which include products like tobacco, alcohol, and certain luxury items, are subject to excise tax — an indirect tax levied on their production, sale, or consumption, often aimed at discouraging the use of products considered harmful to health or the environment.