PNP to beef up campaign vs fake goods

PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Director General Ricardo Marquez has issued an order to intensify the agency’s campaign against counterfeit products.

Marquez ordered PNP Deputy Director-General for Operation Danilo Constantino to implement the order, who in turn instructed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and all field commanders to coordinate with concerned government agencies like the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Meanwhile, Constantino said several apprehensions were made on distributors and suppliers of fake cigarettes found in some shopping malls, markets and even ambulant vendors.

The arrests resulted in the filing of criminal cases for violation of Republic Act 8293 or the intellectual Property Code of the Philippines were made by Llanera, Nueva Ecija Police and in Sitio Pulo, Barangay Anabu 2C in Imus City, Cavite.

Recently, police personnel from Imus, Cavite and San Jose City, Nueva Ecija responded to complaints from wholesale stores that a vendor of fake Mighty and Marvels cigarettes is selling his wares in the city. San Jose City Police Station Chief Supt. Nolie Q. Azuncion said the suspect has been arrested.

Azuncion added that his men apprehended and had filed appropriate criminal cases of Infringement of Trademark under section 155 of Republic Act 8293 against the suspects who were in possession of fake cigarettes. The suspects were identified as Lordy Sevilleja and Ronald Paguibitan.

These arrests show that the entire PNP force, said Constantino, is serious in its campaign to root out this counterfeit cigarette problem.