MANILA — Billions of pesos worth of illicit cigarettes will be burned as part of the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) nationwide destruction of illegal goods this week.

A total of 14.3 million packs of illicit cigarettes worth P2.1 billion are being destroyed at a waste disposal facility in Porac, Pampanga and in many sites across the country. The activity will last until the end of the month.

The cigarettes were confiscated in various operations in the last two years. There were raids in illegal factories of cigarettes with no permits and the companies are not registered with the BIR.

BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui, Jr. said they decided to burn the cigarettes to ensure that the items will not be used or resold again. Last week, the Bureau of Customs has caught individuals selling the illicit cigarettes they were supposed to burn. 

“Eto mga nacoconfiscate na ito saan ba napupunta, baka binebenta rin at bumabalik sa merkado. Ngayon pinapakita natin na hindi totoo ito,” he said, asserting that’s the reason why they invited the media and other government agencies to witness to destruction activity. 

Aside from cigarettes, equipment used to create the cigarettes and which were also confiscated were also destroyed by a backhoe machine. This ensures that it will also not be used again. 

Tax liability of the illicit cigarettes is around P6.4 billion. Lumagui said this money could have been used to fund other government projects. 

“Kung nakolekta yan, imagine malaking tulong yan sa ating kababayan. Parte ng nakokolekta dito napupunta sa healthcare ng ating mga kababayan,” he said.

Lumagui now urges local government units to be mindful of warehouses in their jurisdictions that may be used as a factory for illicit cigarettes. This as the BIR intensifies its crackdown on illegal businesses as it targets to collect P3.23 trillion tax collection this year.