• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
About P632,000 worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes were seized by the police at Park Homes 2 in Barangay Washington, Escalante City, Negros Occidental on Monday, Feb. 23.
Alias “Monmon”, alias “Eli”, and alias “Evan”, all residents of the barangay, were arrested during the operation.
The suspects yielded more than 1,000 reams of assorted brand of cigarettes with a market value of P632,025.
The arrested suspects will face charges for violation of Republic Act (RA) 10863 or the Act Modernizing the Customs and Tariff Act, RA 10643 or the Graphic Health Warnings Law in the Philippines, and RA 8424 or Tax Reform Act of 1997.
On Feb. 16, the police also seized an estimated P787,500 worth of smuggled cigarettes during a mobile patrol operation in Purok Margarita, Barangay Balintawak, Escalante City.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier ordered a full swing operations against counterfeit cigarettes, following the dismantling of a suspected illegal cigarette manufacturing and storage facility in Tanza, Cavite. | GB
