Manila, May 19 -- Smuggling and rising vape use among adolescents prompted the Senate to press for higher excise taxes on tobacco and vapor products, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Monday as he led a hearing on House Bill 11360.

"The reason for that is that we don't believe the solution to curbing illicit trade will come from reducing taxes," Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, said.

"What is very prevalent right now is the smuggling of vaping products, and that's already filtering down to our adolescent population."

The measure, which seeks to amend the National Internal Revenue Code, sets a PHP41 initial tax per pack of heated tobacco (20 units) and PHP66.15 per milliliter of vapor products and cigarettes. R...