DESPITE the government’s heightened enforcement against illicit tobacco, authorities expressed frustration as translating seizures into successful convictions remains a major challenge.
Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon said many complaints filed under the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act still require additional investigation because the evidence gathered by law enforcement agencies is insufficient to withstand judicial scrutiny.
A recent study by the European Union-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (EU-Asean) Business Council and Euromonitor International estimated that the government lost at least $2.5 billion, or around P141 billion, in revenues over the past two years owing to illicit tobacco products.
The study also found that one in every four cigarette sticks and more than four in five vape products sold in the country were illegal, contraband, counterfeit, or unbranded.
In response to the enormous losses from the illicit tobacco trade, lawmakers and government officials agreed there is an important need for intensified efforts to prosecute and convict the criminal syndicates behind the illegal market, saying seizures alone have failed to deter offenders.
Meanwhile, Rep. Rolando Valeriano of Manila urged law enforcement agencies to work on the successful prosecution and conviction of criminals instead of confiscating illicit tobacco products.