ILLICIT VAPES. Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. shows some of the confiscated illicit vape products during a raid at the Philippine Vape Festival 2024 on Sunday (Aug. 18, 2024) in Las Piñas City. The BIR confiscated 5,385 illicit vapes, all of which have no internal revenue stamps. (Photo from BIR)
MANILA – Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. on Thursday reminded celebrities, influencers, and endorsers of the recent Philippine Vape Festival 2024 to be mindful of the vape products that they promote.
"Celebrities, influencers, and endorsers of the Philippine Vape Festival 2024 should be more responsible in promoting vape products. Instruct your agents or managers not to accept endorsements or promotions that involve illicit vape. Instead, let us aim to promote compliant vapes, for the safety of our fellow Filipinos," Lumaguin said in a statement.
The BIR's Illicit Trade Task Force raided the Philippine Vape Festival 2024 last Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024.
The raid was executed in the presence of hundreds of festival-goers and other members of the vape industry.
The BIR confiscated 5,385 illicit vape products, all of which have no internal revenue stamps.
Lumagui said the festival was promoted by a team of celebrities and influencers, whose names and faces were plastered across dozens of social media posts and publication materials.
According to Lumagui, organizers, including the owners of stalls with illicit vape during the festival, should be held responsible for the Philippine Vape Festival 2024 raid.
He said vape products without an internal revenue stamp is a violation of taxation laws, yet the organizers and owners involved in the festival failed to comply with the basic requirement.
"Yung organizers ng Philippine Vape Festival 2024, at yung mga owners ng vape products na may stall sa festival, bakit niyo pinayagan na walang internal revenue stamp yung mga vape sa festival? You have the responsibility to check the compliance of the vape products in the festival. Nag-imbita kayo ng daan-daang Pilipino, tapos ilegal na vape i-didisplay niyo? Hindi kayo compliant, wag niyo lokohin yung publiko. (The organizers of the Philippine Vape Festival 2024, and the owners of vape products that have stalls at the festival, why did you allow vapes that have no internal revenue stamp at the festival? You have the responsibility to check the compliance of the vape products in the festival. You invited hundreds of Filipinos, then you display illegal vape? You are not compliant, don't fool the public)," he said.
"The BIR is for fair competition in the vape industry. Pay your taxes, compete fairly. It would be unfair to vape companies who are regularly paying their taxes if the BIR will not enforce its mandate of fair taxation against non-compliant vape companies," he added. (PNA)
