MANILA — In a more robust awareness campaign against the sale of illegally made and smuggled cigarettes, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has directed police chiefs around the country to collaborate closely with barangay and local government officials.

The campaign’s goal, according to a statement from PNP commander Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., is to educate small retailers—especially sari-sari stores—about the legal ramifications of selling illegal tobacco goods.

Nartatez stated, “We have to make sari-sari store owners fully understand that they are becoming enablers of smuggling and illegal manufacture of the cigarettes the moment they agree to sell them to their customers, and there are legal consequences in doing that.”

Police will also identify brands of illegally made and smuggled cigarettes that are circulating in communities as part of the information campaign.

As part of the government’s stepped-up crackdown, Interior Secretary and Local Government Jonvic Remulla had earlier issued a warning that officials will start raiding public marketplaces and small-time retail establishments.

Authorities made it clear that small-time distributors and sellers would also be held accountable, not just manufacturers, and they gave retailers a week to get rid of their illicit cigarette inventory and cease distribution.

The Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act imposes severe penalties on anyone who sell and distribute agricultural products that have been smuggled.

As Nartatez put it, “Tayo ay umaapela sa publiko, lalong-lalo na ang may-ari ng maliliit na tindahan, na makipagtulungan sa mga awtoridad sa kampanyang ito upang masawata ang mga smuggled na sigarilyo na ito.”

In the meantime, the PNP is working with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and other government organizations to quickly dispose of billions of pesos’ worth of seized cigarettes that were made illegally and smuggled.

Authorities found that counterfeit tobacco products were being manufactured, stored, and distributed in a warehouse that had been designated as a canning operation.