Concerned groups asked to slow down on Mighty Corp's investigation

Bulacan-based tobacco manufacturer, Mighty Corp has been in the middle of controversies for the past several months already. And a lot of concerned groups asked to slow down about the investigations over allegations of underdeclaration of products of an established local tobacco company in the country.

According to Ako-Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe said the probe being conducted in the House of Representatives into “unscrupulous entities” in the cigarette industry should not focus solely on one company but the entire industry.

“If we were to investigate, let us not single out one company but [look into] the entire industry to prevent any unnecessary innuendos or speculations,” said Batocabe who also a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means.

“As member of the Ways and Means committee, I believe that any investigation to be conducted should be objective and fair,” Batocabe said.

“And the only interest which we should protect is that of the government,” he added.

Meanwhile, Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon warned the Congress regarding malciious lies pointing to Mighty.

“… We will always be in defense of national firms against offensives of foreign firms to force it out of business,” Ridon said, implying local companies such as Mighty should be supported for providing livelihood to millions of Filipinos apart from the fact that it is paying billions in taxes to the government.

Mighty legal counsel Miguelito Ocampo denied all allegations against Mighty Corp. “While our company cannot comment on how other cigarette companies price their cigarettes, what we can say is that our company can sell one-peso-per stick cigarettes because... Mighty does not pay royalty fees to foreign companies for the use of our brands of cigarettes,” Ocampo earlier said.