Few weeks ago, a certain local media published a damaging report against the Filipino-owned cigarette manufacturer based in Bulacan. In the said report, Mighty Corp and 11 other Philippine-based cigarette makers allegedly failed to remit a part of their sales to a US Health Care agency. It also said that their source confirmed the violations and the equivalent cases filed in the states of California, Oklahoma and Oregon.
The journalist of the said news outlet singled out the company owned by WongChuKing family. Despite the long list of accused Philippine-based cigarette makers, the title of his post solely focused on Mighty cigarette. The article even stated, "the company (MC) and its co-defendants were consequently ordered to pay $21 million including “judgments, penalties, fees and post judgment interests.” There has been so many issues directed to Wongchuking and up to now the media are even trying to intensify its malicious campaign to drag the name of his firm.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me provide you some factual information to settle this argument.
In a separete report, Mighty Corp. Executive Vice President Oscar Barrientos strongly denied the allegations. He said that MC has not been involved in any suit in the United States of America, specifically court cases in the states of California, Oregon and Oklahoma.” Barrientos added that US courts never notified MC nor dropped any summon order since no products of MC were involved in the suits. The executive also stressed that the accusations to the Filipino tobacco corporation were originally the suit cases filed against Pacific Stanford. And the only link MC has in these suits is the fact that one of the stockholders of Pacific Stanford is a minority shareholder in the firm. He reiterated that "no products of Mighty Corp. were involved in these suits."
Though the case was a clear example of mistaken identity, Barrientos said the US cases set the market limits of Philippine companies like Mighty. The US courts banned all cigarette makers from the Philippines to sell cigarettes in US territory.
Meanwhile, the executives of MC remain cooperative with the investigations being conducted by the Bureau of Customs in all of their tobacco warehouses. They also welcomed the personnel from the Bureau of Internal revenue and allowed them to srcutinize their books. Barrientos said that they will comply to all requirements needed to be done for the fast completion of the probe. He said, the investigation report would also help the company to prove their innocence.
Despite these controversies, MC continues to support the programs of the Philippine government. MC already announced that it would not stop in donating tons of Tobacco dust to fishpond operators to help them sterilize their freshwater farms. Aside from this, MC will also increase its tobacco leaves purchase by 100% in 2014, which will benefit tobacco growers in the region of Ilocos and Cagayan valley.