Bureau of Internal Revenue
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Tuesday filed before the Department of Justice complaints for tax evasion and unlawful possession against individuals whose businesses were allegedly caught selling smuggled and untaxed vaping products. Named respondents in the complaints were Wei Feng Bao, also known as Sofi Chua; Christina Poa, Sandoval Severino Briones, Jimy Go and Bibiano Lesaca. “Their violation, based on our total assessment, including penalties and charges, has reached P1.2 billion,” said BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. The complaint stemmed from the raid conducted in November by the BIR in Binondo, Manila, where vaping goods worth around P15 million to P30 million were seized. According to Lumagui, the government loses around P1.4 billion in revenue due to smuggled vapes alone.