Isinagawang raid sa Bulacan at Valenzuela City, itinuturing na pinakamalaking operasyon laban sa illicit cigarettes ngayong 2024

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Isinagawang raid sa Bulacan at Valenzuela City, itinuturing na pinakamalaking operasyon laban sa illicit cigarettes ngayong 2024  For more news, visit:  ►https://www.ptvnews.ph/  Subscribe to our DailyMotion Channel: ►http://www.dailymotion.com/peoples-television-incorporated  Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ►http://www.youtube.com/ptvphilippines  Like our Facebook pages: ►PTV: http://facebook.com/PTVph  ►Rise and Shine Pilipinas: https://www.facebook.com/riseandshinepilipinas  Follow us on Twitter:  ►http://twitter.com/PTVph  Follow us on Instagram: ►https://www.instagram.com/ptvph  Watch our livestream on:  ►http://ptvnews.ph/livestream/ ►https://www.dailymotion.com/PTVPhilippines  Watch our News Programs, every Mondays to Fridays  Rise and Shine Pilipinas - 6:00 - 7:00 am | 7:30 - 8:00 am Balitang Pambansa - 7:00 - 7:30 am | 12:00 - 12:30 pm | 6:00 - 6:30pm | 9:30 - 10:00 pm PTV Sports - 8:00 - 9:00 am Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon - 12:30 - 1:00 pm Sentro Balita - 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Ulat Bayan - 6:30 pm - 7:00 pm PTV News Tonight -  10:00 pm - 10:30 pm  Saturday & Sunday: ►Sentro Balita Weekend - 1:30 - 2:00 pm ►Ulat Bayan Weekend - 6:15 pm - 7:00 pm

Transcript

00:00Because we are here with Commissioner Jun, we asked for an update from the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

00:07Commissioner, in your next operation, to those who are selling illegal vape products and cigarettes,

00:14let's start with your next large-scale raid against illicit cigarettes in Bulacan and Valenzuela City.

00:24What are the details of this, Commissioner?

00:26On November 6, we conducted simultaneous raids in different warehouses.

00:35We discovered that the four warehouses that we went to had a large-scale operation against cigarettes.

00:45Again, this is in Valenzuela and Bulacan.

00:48We saw a lot of raw materials and cigarettes that we confiscated.

00:56How much is this worth?

01:00The tax liabilities that we saw here is around 8.5 billion pesos.

01:09That's why we said that this is really big because we got a lot of equipment here.

01:17We got a lot of finished products and the raw materials that are made into finished products of cigarettes.

01:26Okay, so this was last November 8?

01:29This was on November 6 for cigarettes.

01:32Okay, and this is the 8.5 billion?

01:34Yes, around 8.5 billion.

01:36So it's a factory?

01:37It's a factory. That's why it's so big.

01:39If you look at the factory, it's very dirty.

01:43We can see that the raw materials are just on the walls.

01:47It's messy.

01:48There are insects crawling on the tobacco that is made into cigarettes.

01:55And our countrymen are smoking it.

01:58Okay, why did you say that this is the biggest operation against illicit cigarettes this year?

02:07We can say that this is big because there are a lot of warehouses.

02:12And the machines that are used here, we confiscated a lot of them.

02:17We also saw that there were 5 Chinese nationals involved here and they were arrested by the CIDG.

02:27And we confiscated more than 11 million cigarettes.

02:34And what are the equipments that you confiscated from these warehouses?

02:39We confiscated 8 big equipments that make cigarettes.

02:45That's why this factory produces a lot of cigarettes every day.

02:51That's why the success of BIR and CIDG is huge.

02:59Would you say this is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, this year?

03:02Because it's 8.5 billion.

03:04This is the biggest this year, right?

03:06Yes.

03:07Because aside from the place, it's a big place.

03:10We confiscated a lot of cigarettes and a lot of machines.

03:14And there are also a lot of people involved.

03:16Not only the 5 Chinese nationals that we saw, but also the Filipinos.

03:22How many, sir?

03:23What we saw there were more than 150 from the province.

03:29And they were promised construction work.

03:34And when it came, they were forced to produce cigarettes.

03:39So they were also trafficked.

03:41Yes.

03:42That's why the CIDG will also file a case of trafficking.

03:45Okay, Commissioner.

03:46There's one more.

03:47Here in your operation in Quezon City, where illegal vape products are sold in a secret menu.

03:57What is this secret menu?

03:59This is what we discovered because we started raids on vape products.

04:05Especially for the retail.

04:06This October, we had a nationwide operation on vape stores and retailers that we were chasing.

04:15So that was successful.

04:17And now, what they did is the compliance, the ones with tax stamps, are displayed in every store.

04:24So if you just look at it visually, when you enter the store, it looks like the products are compliant.

04:29But if you have a question, or sometimes, they will give you a booklet.

04:36Like a restaurant.

04:37Yes.

04:38They will show you, this is what we have hidden.

04:40If you want, you can also choose from there.

04:42So it's obvious that the sellers are deceiving because they know that they are doing illegal things.

04:48They have a legal front.

04:51Yes.

04:52So they are secretly selling something.

04:54Yes.

04:55It's like there's something like that somewhere.

04:57There are other places like that, Commissioner.

05:00There are many.

05:01So what we did was...

05:02Not just cigarettes, but other products.

05:05Yes.

05:06Illegal products are hidden.

05:07Yes.

05:08Yes.

05:09So this is what we did.

05:10The next operation we did was, we targeted this because we already know what they are doing.

05:16So we caught them.

05:18In Quezon City, we also saw a big warehouse behind the store that we saw.

05:23All illegal vape products are there.

05:26So what are the tax liabilities and criminal cases that they can face?

05:33There are many cases that these sellers will face.

05:37First of all, the possession of excisable articles that are not paid by excise tax.

05:43That's a case.

05:44Of course, there is the case of tax evasion.

05:47And there is also the violation of tax stamps and the new vape law.

05:52So there are many cases that these illegal products sellers will face.

05:59Okay.

06:00And after a month of nationwide operations against the illegals who sell vape products and cigarettes,

06:10can you give us some figures

06:12on how big is the number of vape shops and cigarette factories that you have shut down?

06:19So here in these vape products,

06:22we went to the establishments where we saw violations.

06:26There are more than 800 vape stores where we saw heavy violations.

06:33And the vape products we confiscated,

06:38we confiscated more than 560,000 units of vape products.

06:45The value of the waste that it collects is more than P415 million.

06:53That's the tax liability that we saw.

06:57When it comes to cigarettes, again, more than P8.5 million.

07:00It's around P9 billion because we have other cigarette factories that were caught.

07:05And we also got a few million.

07:07That's why this year, we saw that our raids against cigarettes and vape products were successful.

07:15How is the monitoring and catching of vape vendors online?

07:21Do you have data on this?

07:24And how many have been caught and are in the BAT of BIR?

07:28That's also what we're focusing on right now.

07:30That's why we're coordinating and talking to online marketplaces,

07:36different online stores.

07:40And we're reporting that.

07:42We're looking at how we can solve the problem of selling vape.

07:49Because a lot of people are selling online.

07:51So the good thing is that these online platforms are cooperating with us.

07:57And they promise to shut down the online stores that are not selling.

08:04So now, we're continuing our coordination.

08:06We don't have data yet, but we're still monitoring and catching online.

08:16In other talks, on to better news.

08:19What can you say?

08:21You're included in the Asian Heroes 2024 book launch.

08:26How important is this for you, Jaan, in BIR?

08:30Being a part of Asian Heroes this past month is a big thing for me and BIR.

08:39Because this serves as an inspiration for our work to improve.

08:45And for BIR to improve our service.

08:48Because this is just proof that we're doing the right thing.

08:53And that it will help our taxpayers.

08:57So this serves as an inspiration.

08:59Aside from seeing that we're doing the right thing in managing BIR.

09:05Our agency is also doing the right thing in serving our countrymen.

09:12So you can expect that in the coming days, months, and years.

09:18BIR will continue to serve our taxpayers.

09:22And we will ensure that all the services we provide will improve.

09:27And BIR will be easier to pay for in our country.

09:30Congratulations to you, Commissioner Jun.

09:33Thank you for the updates that you're sharing with us from BIR.

09:38Thank you as well.

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