Lawmaker calls for government action against ‘cigarette mafia’

TAHANAN Party-list Representative Nathan Oducado called on the Marcos Administration to intensify its drive against tobacco smuggling, as successive raids against cigarette smugglers reveal cracks in the enforcement of customs and trade laws.

“More than 259 million pesos worth of smuggled tobacco products have been reportedly seized from January to February alone,” said Cong. Oducado. “That is 259 million pesos of illegally imported, untaxed, unregulated, unlawfully marketed, and illicitly sold tobacco products. And that’s just in the first two months of 2026.”

Oducado noted that these seizures were done across the country: in Bataan and Bulacan in Luzon, Negros Occidental in Visayas, and Zamboanga City, Davao del Sur, and Maguindanao del Norte in Mindanao.

“This pattern of organization shows that not only are smugglers active in the country, they are also unafraid of being caught,” asserted Oducado. “We not only need to strengthen enforcement, we must raise the penalty for smugglers.”

Last December, Oducado filed House Bill 6965, or the Anti-Illicit Cigarette Import Trade and Smuggling Act, which would strengthen enforcement against illicit cigarette trade, protect government revenues, ensure fair competition, and promote public health.

“Once enacted, individuals found importing, manufacturing, selling, transporting, storing, or possessing cigarettes without full payment of excise taxes or without the required tax stamps shall be held criminally liable, regardless of whether the cigarettes are locally produced or imported,” said Oducado.

HB 6965 further provides that the possession of cigarettes without the prescribed excise tax stamps shall constitute prima facie evidence of a violation, placing the burden of proving lawful payment of excise taxes on the person in possession.

“The Bill also introduces penalties for organized and large-scale smuggling operations,” Oducado stressed. “Illegal cigarette smuggling not only deprives the government of much-needed revenues, it also undermines legitimate businesses and poses serious public health risks.”