Manila: A House of Representatives panel has summoned Bureau of Customs (BOC) officials, led by Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, to appear in its investigation into the resurgence of large-scale tobacco smuggling and its impact on public health and national revenues. In a statement, Marikina City Rep. Romero Quimbo, chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, stated that several officials, including Deputy Commissioners Romeo Allan Rosales, Nolasco Bathan, Agaton Teodoro Uvero, Revsee Escobedo, and Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip Maronilla, will be invited to the hearing. Additionally, Port of Manila District Collector Alexander Gerard Alviar, Port of Batangas District Collector Carmelita Talusan, and Manila International Container Port District Collector Rizalino Jose Torralba are expected to attend.
According to Philippines News Agency, Nepomuceno had previously ordered an investigation into the resurgence of smuggling following reports implicating certain officials of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS). Intelligence Officer III Paul Oliver Pacunayen, the chief of the CIIS at the Port of Manila, was relieved of his duties. Pacunayen and CIIS Director Thomas Narcise were named in a letter sent to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. by customs officials, employees, and stakeholders last December, which also mentioned a customs broker identified in a Senate report as a major agricultural smuggler.
The letter highlighted that the Port of Manila, as the primary international gateway, has reportedly become a focal point for the entry of regulated, prohibited, or undeclared goods, including agricultural products, counterfeit items, illicit cigarettes, motor vehicles, vape products, and other regulated commodities. Last week, Quimbo filed House Resolution No. 636, seeking a congressional probe into the seizure of 32 trucks allegedly carrying smuggled cigarettes worth approximately PHP2.6 billion on New Year's Eve in Batangas and Malabon.
Quimbo emphasized that the apprehension of the smuggled cigarettes by the PNP Highway Patrol Group confirms that organized cigarette smuggling remains a pressing national issue that demands urgent action. The intercepted items translate to approximately PHP875.16 million in tax revenues that the government would have collected at the 2026 tax rate.
The House probe aims to review current enforcement systems, coordination among agencies, and existing penalties to determine if these measures are sufficient to deter large-scale illicit tobacco trade.
