Manila: Some of the 448,494 illicit vape products, with about PHP1.34 billion worth of unpaid taxes and penalties, were simultaneously destroyed nationwide by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Monday. The activity is part of a three-day event aimed to address illicit trade and was live-streamed through the agency's Facebook page, https://fb.watch/D-pzrLIGci/.

According to Philippines News Agency, BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza, during the event, emphasized the importance of conducting the activity publicly and nationwide. He highlighted that the government will not tolerate the sale of vape and vapor products without the full and proper payment of excise taxes, which is evidenced by the excise tax stamps that must be affixed to every vape product sold.

Mendoza explained that excise taxes on all sin products, such as vape, serve a dual purpose. They regulate use by increasing retail prices and discouraging consumption among the public, while also generating revenues for government healthcare programs. He noted that the absence of excise tax stamps indicates that distributors and sellers have evaded government oversight of these products, including the authority to monitor, regulate, and control their sale and distribution.

Mendoza stated that the BIR will continue to seize, destroy, and permanently remove unstamped vape products from the market to ensure that no one profits by placing consumers at risk. He added that enforcement actions will be intensified, coordinated, and uncompromising to protect public health, uphold the law, and safeguard legitimate government revenues.

The BIR has collaborated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to ensure that the destruction activities do not violate any environmental, health, and safety standards.