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Jean Mangaluz - Philstar.com
April 7, 2025 | 1:40pm
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. lead the inspection and condemnation of nearly 3 million pieces of smuggled electronic vapes valued at ?3.26 billion at the Bureau of Customs grounds in South Harbor, Manila on Monday, April 07, 2025.
Yummie Dingding / PPA, pool
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday, April 7 cautioned against the use of illegal vape products, particularly those with colorful packaging that appeal to children.
At the South Harbor in Manila’s Port Area, Marcos inspected P3.36 billion worth of smuggled vape products seized by the Bureau of Customs (BOC). The haul included 2,977,925 pieces of vapes and accessories.
Marcos said the smuggled goods lacked proper documentation that their manufacturing standards and safety inspections remain unknown/
The president also expressed worry over how the illegal vapes were packaged.
“It is all the more worrying because if we look at the packaging, it is clearly aimed at children. Their target market is kids. The first thing they want is to teach children how to be addicted to vapes,” he said during his speech.
The president lauded the efforts of the BOC, as well as the Department of Finance and the Department of Trade and Industry, for intercepting the illicit goods.
He emphasized that beyond lost government revenue, the health risks posed by these smuggled vapes are a greater concern.
“I just wanted to highlight the efforts... that we are doing and the dangers that accompany these smuggled vapes far and beyond the loss and revenue to the government. More important to us are the health issues [over which] these smuggled vapes are raised,” Marcos said.
Despite numerous seizure operations by customs officials, enforcement agencies have faced criticism over their low conviction rates. During a Senate hearing, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said that while the BOC conducted 1,296 seizure operations targeting illegal tobacco products, only two cases resulted in court decisions. Similarly, the Bureau of Internal Revenue reported 1,636 seizures but secured just one court ruling.
