MANILA: The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has denied the motion filed by Bulacan-based Mighty Corp. for the BOC to lift its suspension order against the cigarette firm as a preventive measure against smuggling.
Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon signed the order denying the motion to lift the suspension of Mighty Corp.’s importer’s accreditation after the company failed to present supporting documents.
Mighty Corp. filed the motion last April 3, asking the BOC to temporarily lift its order, limited to the company’s shipments which had arrived prior to the said suspension, as well as those that were in transit.
“(Mighty) argued that the shipments would deteriorate and would substantially hamper its operations. The cigarette manufacturer then undertook steps to pay duties and taxes due on the shipments and to post a bond to cover any damage on the part of the BOC,” the Customs said in a statement.
Government prosecutor Danilo Campos, however, opposed the motion as the company failed to present supporting documents, particularly the Bills of Lading (BL).
Due to Mighty’s failure to present the BL, the BOC said it would not be able to identify the shipments the company wants to be processed, as well as the ports where said shipments are being stored.
Faeldon reiterated that the preventive suspension against the company was part of the bureau’s measures to prevent smuggling and other instances of customs fraud.
“We will not slow down in our anti-smuggling operations. The bureau will continue to go after people and companies involved in smuggling,” he said.
After a series of operations against the company, Customs operatives and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) seized master cases of Mighty cigarettes bearing fake tax stamps in the company’s warehouses.
Due to excise tax deficiencies caused by the alleged use of counterfeit stamps, the BIR has filed a P9.654 billion tax evasion case against Mighty Corp., the first in a series of cases to be charged against the cigarette firm.
