Lawmaker denies he reported fake ciggie factory

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN – A former ally of Dong Calugay, the alleged owner of the multi - billions of pesos' counterfeit cigarettes, denied he exposed the location of the covert factory to the authorities.

Congressional candidate and Pangasinan Second District Board Member Raul Sison told this newspaper he did not know about the half-a-billion pesos factory with a two billion pesos Bureau of Internal Revenue's stamps in Barangay Portic, Bugallon he said was illegally imitating cigarette brands like Marlboro, Winston, Mighty, and others for two years already.

PRESS CONFERENCE – Pangasinan Second District Board Member Raul Sison, a congressional bet, answers queries of reporters in a press conference he called last Monday held at a restaurant in Lingayen, Pangasinan.

The conference ensued after many of his fellow lawmakers scampered away when they saw him arrived at the Sanggunian Panlalawigan (provincial board) and sense he had an expose’ with the power-that-be on the raided clandestine fake cigarette factory in Bugallon, Pangasinan. Foreground is the spurious much toxic pack of Winston Cigarette and the counterfeit stamp of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

“Ahh, wala akong alam diyan wala wala akong alam diyan kasi iyan ang kuwento nila Kapitan (Edilberto Orduña) at nila (Bugallon former mayor) Mayor Ric (Orduña) matagal sila diyan. Noon, iyan nalalapitan ng tao. Recently, noong mga dalawang taon may nagpapastol ng baka kasi kinukuha lang mga damo iyan e. Talagang planta iyan e hindi sila magpalapit parang restricted area. Para bagang high voltage ang nakalagay,” he stressed in Tagalog.

The clandestine factory hidden behind mango trees and pig pens were raided by the  BIR and National Bureau of Investigation last November 28 where Calugay, a mayoralty bet in Sual, Pangasinan, and John Does purportedly operate as based on the mission order of the BIR.

Seized by authorities were untaxed cigarettes and their tens of millions peso paraphernalia like 3 units package machine, 24 box filter rods, 134 sack cut fillers, 42 pack of foils, 194 packs of cigarettes papers, 231 packs tipping papers, and others.

Fake stamp and a pack of Winston Cigarette.

In his three pages aborted privilege speech at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial board) given to reporters last Monday, Sison called President Rodrigo Duterte to order the investigation of the people behind the contraband.

He also requested the Houses of Representatives and Senate to do a congressional investigation.

“Alam po ninyo, napakalaking halaga ang puhunan sa pagpapatayo at pagpapatakbo ng pagawaan ng sigarilyo. Ang sabi ng mga expert kaylangan mga 500 million ang mamuhunan para matayo ang pabrika ng ganitong planta na pagawaan ng sigarilyo. Walang kakayanang pinansiyal itong si Mr. Calugay para sa bagay na ito. Ang katotohanan nito ay may malaking sindikato ang nasa likod ng pabrikang ito. Hindi tatagal ang operasyon ng maraming taon kung walang protektors o mga maipluwensang tao na nagpapatakbo nito,” he said on his speech he furnished to reporters at Consuelo Restaurant here after a lunch he hosted.

In his speech he likened Calugay as the confidant of Fifth Congressional District Representative Amado T. Espino, Jr. and is closed to his two sons Governor Amado Espino, III and Bugallon Mayor Jumel I. Espino.

“I know this man. I used to go to Barangay Portic. He is like a son to Congressman Amado T. Espino Jr. and a brother to Governor Pogi Espino and Bugallon Mayor Jumel I. Espino,” Sison, who had a fallout with the older Espino earlier, said in his privilege speech.

The three Espinos called a press conference Wednesday as seen at GMA-7 Television where Representative Espino denied the accusation of Sison.

He said he has a real property in the village but has no knowledge about an illegal factory located with other people’s property there.

ABORTED PRIVILEGE SPEECH OF BOARD MEMBER RAUL SISON GIVEN TO REPORTERS