MANILA – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Wednesday filed a tax evasion complaint against cigarette-maker Mighty Corp before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Mighty Corp allegedly avoided payment of nearly P9.6 billion in taxes by using fake tax stamps on its product, according to the complaint.

• Read: Duterte orders arrest of Mighty Cigarette owner over fake tax stamps

The BIR alleged that of the 33,140,500 cigarette packs that were inspected in Mighty’s warehouses in Pampanga, 87.5 percent bore fake tax stamps. The warehouses were also not registered with the BIR’s large taxpayer division.

The respondents in the complaint include Mighty owner Alexander Wongchuking and company officers Edilberto Adan, Oscar Barrientos and Ernesto Victa.

Atty. Sigfrid Fortun, legal counsel of Mighty Corp said the company welcomes the filing of the complaint as it provides them an opportunity to clear their name and show that they violated no tax laws.

"We will continue to cooperate with government in its continuing effort at tax collection," Fortun said in a statement.

The complaint against Malolos, Bulacan-based Mighty is the 9th tax evasion case filed under President Rodrigo Duterte.