Thousands of illicit vape products confiscated in various operations were destroyed by personnel of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Monday, December 15, 2025. 

Items destroyed included cartridges and pods. Sellers of the said products failed to settle taxes to the government, BIR said. 

The illicit vape products were broken into pieces, while the cartridges that contain the liquid solution were opened to dispose of chemicals properly. 

The destruction was done in an accredited facility in Liloan town, north Cebu. 

Approximately 15,000 illicit vape products seized from various operations in the Visayas since 2024 were destroyed. Items confiscated during operations in Western Visayas and Negros Island Region were also brought in Cebu for destruction.

According to BIR, the government lost approximately P52 million in tax dues in the three regions. 

“May mga manufacturers that are not really registered with the BIR, their products proliferate in the market…when you say illicit they are not paying exact taxes that are due, mailhan na basically they have no stamps and yung daily field operations, they are not registered in our database,” Bernardino Paul Somera, Jr., chief of the Regional Investigation Division of BIR Revenue Region 13. 

A few sellers found to have sold illicit vape products have already been sued for tax evasion.

“Simultaneous nationwide kining destruction nga gihimo karon sa Bureau of Internal Revenue sa lain-laing revenue regional office pagpakita sa kaseryoso sa gobyerno nga naay husto nga pagbayad sa buhis,” Atty. Roev Bryl Sobrejuanite of the Legal Division of BIR Revenue Region Negros Island. 

In its live stream, BIR showed the destruction activities in other cities in the country. 

“Kasi ang illicit articles yung mandate, ang focus ng BIR, cigarette and saka sa vape, yung hindi pa nag-e-enforce medyo rampant pa, ngayon parang na-minimize na yung effects,” Sobrejuanite said.