(Photos supplied by the BIR)
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), working hand in hand with the Philippine National Police and backed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, launched a sweeping, coordinated enforcement operation on February 9, 2026, targeting the illegal cigarette trade across multiple regions nationwide.
Armed with verified intelligence reports, the BIR issued Mission Orders and deployed enforcement teams simultaneously in key areas to inspect establishments suspected of selling cigarettes without proof of excise tax payment. The large-scale operations covered Revenue Region 5 (CAMANAVA and Bulacan).
Revenue Region 9B (LaQueMar – Laguna, Quezon, and Marinduque); Revenue Region 6 (City of Manila and Palawan); Revenue Region 9A (CaBaMiRo – Cavite, Batangas, Mindoro, and Romblon); Revenue Region 4 (Central Luzon); Revenue Region 7B (East NCR – Mandaluyong, San Juan, Pasig, North Rizal, Marikina, South Rizal).
Revenue Region 7A (Quezon City); and Revenue Region 8B (South NCR – Taguig, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, and Muntinlupa).
The result was significant: authorities confiscated 45,521 packs of illicit cigarettes found to be non-compliant with the mandatory Internal Revenue Stamp requirement under the National Internal Revenue Code. The estimated total tax liabilities — including basic excise tax, surcharges, penalties, and interest — reached ₱40,547,388.66.
The absence of the required Internal Revenue Stamp is a clear indicator of unpaid excise taxes, depriving the government of critical revenues earmarked for public services. All seized products are now under government custody pending full inventory, valuation, and the initiation of appropriate administrative and criminal proceedings against those involved.
The simultaneous operations send a strong message to the illicit tobacco market: enforcement efforts are intensifying. The BIR affirmed that it will continue coordinated nationwide actions with its law enforcement partners to protect legitimate businesses, ensure fair competition, and safeguard government revenues.
Businesses engaged in the manufacture, distribution, or sale of unstamped or untaxed cigarettes are warned that heightened surveillance, immediate enforcement action, and the filing of criminal charges will follow any violation.
The crackdown forms part of the Bureau’s broader Revenue Base Protection strategy under its DARES reform agenda, reinforcing its commitment to fairness in taxation and the integrity of the country’s revenue system.