BIR orders closure of 2 establishments for possession of tobacco products without tax stamps

CABANATUAN CITY—A warehouse and a retail store here were ordered to shut down their operations by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Thursday for storing hundreds of cigar master cases with no tax stamps.

The items were discovered at the warehouse of Colette’s PX Store owned by a certain Eleanor Ingalia at Bantug Norte village.

The absence of tax stamps meant “they weren’t paying taxes,” said Jethro Zabariaga, BIR Central Luzon director, who led the raiding team.

Zabariaga said the BIR will determine where these brands: Two Moon, Farstar, D&B, Black Bat and Twin Star had originated. He observed that some of the cigar boxes carried health warnings written in Filipino.

Aside from the tax issue, Zabariaga said the tobacco products that the BIR seized may have not passed the country’s product standards.

The BIR, accompanied by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation, also raided Colette’s PX Store along Maharlika Highway, and confiscated four large boxes of cigars.

Zabariaga said Ingalia will be subjected to a tax assessment on top of the criminal charges she would be facing.

The BIR did not say how many items were recovered, pending an inventory that was still being conducted as of posting time.

Zabariaga said five other establishments in the city are under BIR surveillance.  /jpv