Mighty Hits Back at Cigarette Rivals

Filipino-owned cigarette manufacturer Mighty Corporation promised to fight back, within the law, against competitors in trying to control the country’s multimillion-peso tobacco industry.

“We assure our loyal customers, bankers, retailers, wholesalers and employees that we will not remain passive against the subterfuge and other malicious and damaging trickeries employed by our competitors in trying to destroy our business.” Mighty lawyer Miguelito Ocampo said.

Mighty Hits Back at Cigarette Rivals

 Philip Morris and partner Fortune Tobacco Corp (PMFTC) raised concerns that Mighty Corporation had grabbed the tobacco market through the sale of P1-per-stick cigarettes through allegedly illegal withdrawals and misdeclaration of imported raw materials.

“How could this be when the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Internal Revenue tightly and closely monitor our shipments, manufacturing, withdrawals and marketing?” Ocampo asked.

“This is the kind of fallacious and damaging reasoning that our competitors have systematically disseminated to the public through their media friends and so-called civil society groups to destroy our company.” Ocampo said.

Ocampo said PMFTC, its researchers and some organizations had come out with figures ranging from P2.54 billion to P4.9 billion in estimated government losses allegedly due to a mismatch in imported tobacco leaf and cigarettes produced and withdrawn.

Mighty Corporation allegedly turned into technical smuggling and illegal withdrawals that enabled the company to sell low-priced cigarettes.

“This kind of disinformation does not only undermine the integrity of our revenue authorities but also deceives the public, consumers in particular, to create a hatred against our company and in the process undermine our market.” Ocampo said.