PNP preparing case vs politicians behind illegal cigarettes

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February 7, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — A case is being put together against two politicians tagged as masterminds behind the operations of illegal cigarette factories, including one facility in Mexico, Pampanga, the Philippine National Police said yesterday.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said probers are zeroing in on the financial trail and evidence that could lead to the politicians who are believed to be not only the brains, but also financiers of cigarette smuggling activities in the country.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla, in a news briefing on Thursday, said they are looking at two Northern Luzon-based congressmen who are behind the manufacture of unregistered tobacco products.

Remulla did not disclose if the politicians are incumbent members of the House of Representatives.

The probe, Nartatez said, will not stop at low-level operators and workers, as he noted that accountability must reach the masterminds and benefactors of the illegal enterprise.

He assured the public they will pursue criminal cases against the politicians and hold them accountable.

Police have also intensified intelligence-driven operations to shut down similar illegal factories, after Remulla revealed there are at least 10 other tobacco production sites operating in different parts of the country.

Facility seized

With the recent discovery of the illegal tobacco operation in Barangay Panipuan in Mexico, Pampanga, Remulla said that authorities have been tracking similar operations since December 2025, with earlier raids conducted in Batangas and Malabon, indicating an organized and expanding illegal cigarette network.

Remulla confirmed that authorities seized three cigarette-making machines, two packing machines, fake tax stamps and other manufacturing paraphernalia with an estimated value of around P400 million.

The facility allegedly produced and distributed large volumes of illegal cigarettes nationwide.

The facility could produce more than P4.5 billion worth of illegal cigarettes within a month, using several tons of tobacco leaves and counterfeit Bureau of Internal Revenue tax stamps.

Authorities also identified the company’s incorporators under Samyong Global Corp., including Stephanie Sampana, Sweetly Wan Sampana, Brian Manzano, all Filipinos; and Moong Sang Kim and Su Yong Kim, both Korean nationals, as part of the ongoing investigation into the ownership and financing of the operation.

Among the seized cigarette brands were Two Moon, Carnival and HP, which Remulla warned retailers against selling, noting that the manufacture, transport and sale of illegal cigarettes violate the Anti-Agricultural Sabotage Act.

Economic crimes

Nartatez ordered the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and police regional officials to treat illegal cigarette factories as high-impact economic crimes that should be stopped immediately.

“We cannot allow these people to operate because our government is losing billions of pesos that are supposed to be used for social services,” he said. — Ric Sapnu