PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the arrest of Alexander Wongchuking, owner of local cigarette manufacturer Mighty Corporation, because of economic sabotage, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said on Tuesday.
“He (King) was ordered arrested by the President because of economic sabotage. He is doing many [illegal] things and he is proud to say that he can bribe all officials in our country,” Panelo said in a statement.
Duterte’s order came after the Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized P2-billion worth of smuggled and fake cigarettes, including cigarette brands yielding fake tax stamps affixed on Mighty products, in a series of raids conducted last week.
The local cigarette firm, in a statement, said “it is not in the business of producing fake cigarette products as its own local brands are well-accepted by its customers.”
Finance Secretary Carlos Domiguez III had already instructed the BOC and the Bureau of Internal Revenue to file appropriate charges against the individuals and companies proven to be the owners of the smuggled tobacco products.
The two tax-collection agencies confiscated 11,044 master cases of Mighty cigarettes, amounting to P215 million in market value in General Santos City. On top of it, some 62,200 master cases worth P1.98 billion were also seized in San Simon, Pampanga.
‘Mighty owner attempted to bribe Duterte’
In a press conference, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella admitted that “in time past, there was certain attempt to influence [Duterte] financially,” but the President allegedly rejected the offer.
Abella was alluding to reports that Mighty Corporation attempted to bribe the President.
He, however, refused to provide further details regarding the attempted bribery because “things like these are not discussed outside.”
But in a separate statement, Panelo confirmed that King had given Duterte a “bulk of money."
Panelo said Duterte mentioned the attempted bribery during his meeting with Cabinet officials on Monday.
Panelo added that the President instructed his special aide, Christopher “Bong” Go, to return the money.
“The package was given to the President. We thought it’s wine but it was bulk of money,” he said. “He thought it was wine but when Bong Go, Special Assistant to the President, opened it, he saw the money... So he returned it.” (VoxPop Philippines)
