BOC to probe officials linked to cigarette smuggling

The Bureau of Customs (BoC) said it will not tolerate any officials involved in the smuggling of P1.2 billion worth of cigarettes recently seized in Batangas, following revelations by the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG).

“This is presently being investigated, and we are closely coordinating with HPG on this. For now, what I am authorized to say is that the Commissioner will not tolerate this if found to be true,” said Office of the Commissioner (OCOM) Deputy Chief of Staff Chris Noel Bendijo in a Viber message.

“We have issued the necessary show-cause and relief orders based on this information and imposed appropriate penalties accordingly. Of course, we will observe due process, but we will definitely hold those responsible liable, and that goes for our personnel as well,” he added.

Earlier, during a press briefing at Camp Crame, HPG Director Brig. Gen. Hansel Marantan alleged that the truck owner of the 14 trailer trucks carrying smuggled cigarettes intercepted in Barangay Singko Roon, Balete, Batangas, on 31 December 2025, is married to a BoC official.

“His wife is a member of the BoC,” Marantan said.

The HPG official also said complaints are being filed against five individuals for violating Republic Act 12022, the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, and that the financiers of the contraband may also face charges.

Aside from BoC officials, some police personnel are also under investigation for involvement in the smuggling operations.

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno earlier ordered a thorough probe into the reported rise of cigarette smuggling and other illegal activities allegedly involving officials of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS). This led to the relief of Intelligence Officer III Paul Oliver Pacunayen, chief of CIIS Field Station, POM.

The sacked official was mentioned in a letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. from BoC officials, employees, and stakeholders, which cited the resurgence of large-scale smuggling in customs ports nationwide and its resulting revenue losses.

CIIS Director Thomas Narcise was also named in the letter. He was previously identified in a 2022 Senate report as a major agricultural smuggler operating at the ports of Subic, Manila International Container Port, Manila, Batangas, and Cebu.

On Wednesday, Representative Nathaniel Oducado of 1Tahanan Party-list introduced House Bill No. 6965, the Anti-Illicit Cigarette Import Trade and Smuggling Act of 2025. The bill seeks stricter penalties for cigarette smuggling and illegal importation to curb tax evasion and protect public health.

The proposed law also includes amendments to the National Internal Revenue Code and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act to strengthen enforcement.

The Federation of Philippine Industries earlier reported that illegal cigarette trade cost the government P26 billion in 2022 alone, equivalent to a 0.39 percent reduction in GDP over four years (2018–2022)—enough to fund 57,000 socialized housing units, 8,642 classrooms, and 75 public hospitals.