DoTr exec: Pampanga CL’s growth corridor Counterfeit cigarettes found in Bacolor town
ITY OF SAN FERNANDO— Department of Trans (DoTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade over the weekend disclosed that Pampanga has become Central Luzon’s growth corridor due to massive developments going on in the province.
During the formal inauguration of the Laus Auto Services hub in Clark Freeport, Tugade revealed the “special news” and some other “special developments” in Clark Freeport, Clark International Airport (CIA) and Central Luzon.
“Perhaps there are certain things you want to know on the basis of national development. And I want to privilege this crowd gathered— the Laus Group
BACOLOR— Some 60 master cases of suspected counterfeit cigarettes were discovered inside an abandoned container van in Barangay San Isidro here.
Police reports said that the van was left since March 12 and was recovered last May 16 by police operatives.
The truck with plate number UBX 782 was later claimed allegedly by one Jeric Maninang of Barangay Alasas in the City of San Fernando.
The truck was not returned to the suspect pending investigation. The Bureau of Internal Revenue is currently looking at the contents of truck to ascertain if the stamps are also fake.
BIR Regional Director Jethro Sabariaga said that they will conduct their own investigation on the said merchandise if proven these have fake tax stamps.
Recently, police operatives and officials from the Provincial Government of Pampanga led the shutdown of a suspected illegal cigarette factory in Lubao town.
Vice-Governor Dennis Pineda then issued a public warning to foreigners involved in illicit activities to leave Pampanga as village folk show heightened vigilance in helping stop crimes in their areas.
“Criminal elements should better leave Pampanga now because our constituents are more aggressive in reporting anything that they sensed to be suspicious,” Pineda said.
Barangay Captain Lito Manalansan said his constituents reported about the lingering smell of tobacco at night. They also noticed that workers come to work only at night. Manalansan said a Chinese national named Mark Bryan Chan bought the land last February and built a warehouse last September using local construction workers.
Chan, he said, applied to operate a feed mill, information Lubao Mayor Mylyn Cayabyab confirmed. Pineda said Chan must have been operating for less than a month until village folks reported the suspicious activities there.
Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino, Central Luzon police director, said the materials and equipment found inside the factory indicated that the facility was engaged in the full production of cigarettes including packaging. Big boxes of dried tobacco leaves had markings showing these to be imported. Boxes of apparently fake tax seals were seen in the factory.
Representatives of cigarette makers were called to the site to verify if the facility were theirs or not or if Chan was their sub-contractor or not.