• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Authorities arrested nine Chinese nationals and four Filipino workers on Tuesday, following the discovery of clandestine cigarette manufacturing facility in Bago City, Negros Occidental.
The operation in Barangay Calumangan revealed a large-scale production line that authorities state was operating in direct violation of the National Internal Revenue Code.
The arrested Chinese nationals were identified by authorities as Fugong Jiang, Wu JianQun, Xu Ke, Li Hong, Ye Jun, A Yac, Tan Jing, Wu Shaobin, and Eron Chen, while another suspect, Pan Zongxing, managed to evade the raid and is currently the subject of a police manhunt.
The Filipino suspects taken into custody were identified as Lino Pasculado, Jasper John Bais, Romeo Mahinay, and a 16-year-old minor.
The joint task force, includes the Regional Intelligence Division, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group–Negros Island Region, and the National Tobacco Administration.
The factory was initially flagged by the Bago City Permit and Licensing Office during a routine inspection before law enforcement moved in to secure the site.
All 13 suspects are currently facing charges for violating the NIRC, specifically concerning the illicit manufacture and distribution of tobacco products without the required government oversight or tax payments.*
BACOLOD WAREHOUSE
A warehouse allegedly used to store raw materials for illicit cigarette production was raided by authorities on Tuesday afternoon, April 21, in Barangay Alijis, Bacolod City.
The joint operation, led by Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya, the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO), and the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), resulted in the discovery of thousands of boxes of packaging materials and other paraphernalia estimated to be worth millions of pesos.
The discovery was linked to an earlier operation in Barangay Calumangan, Bago City, where 13 individuals were arrested and equipment used for cigarette production was confiscated.
Upon receiving the report, the mayor and BPLO personnel immediately conducted an inspection of the warehouse, alongside operatives from the Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region Regional Intelligence Division, leading to the discovery of stockpiled raw materials.
BCPO Officer-in-Charge Police Colonel Eugene Rebadomia stated that authorities are currently validating information to identify the owner or renter of the warehouse.
He called for intensified monitoring and collaboration to more effectively combat the illicit production of cigarettes.*
