Four hurt, over P59M pirated materials seized

Four agents of the Optical Media Board (OMB) were hurt during an anti-piracy raid on an old movie house along Colon Street, Cebu City on Thursday afternoon, which yielded over P59 million worth of pirated compact discs (CDs) and digital videodiscs (DVDs).

One OMB agent, Rogelio Tilingban, was wounded on the head and had to be brought to the nearest hospital for treatment, while the others suffered minor bumps and bruises.

"May mga bukol sila. Ang daming tao na kumuyog hindi namin maawat," said Joseph Arnaldo, OMB team leader.

Arnaldo said that their main office in Manila had earlier received several reports regarding the alleged rampant selling of pirated CDs and DVDs in the old Vision Theatre building on Colon Street, Barangay Kalubihan.

Arnaldo said that after validating the reports, they immediately conducted an anti-piracy raid in cooperation with the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) City Intelligence Branch.

The OMB operatives and the police raided at least five stalls inside the Vision Theatre building.

Operatives confiscated a total of 420 sacks of illegally-produced CDs and DVDs, 53 boxes of blank DVDs, 13 boxes of DVD casings, four units of tower burners, and 19 units of DVD writers. The total estimated worth of all items confiscated amounts to P 59,239,250.

Arnaldo said that when they identified themselves to the vendors as members of the OMB, the vendors immediately showed some resistance.

"Pagdating namin sa area ay naabutan namin na ang dami talaga. Supposed to be ay sabay kami ng mga police na dumating pero nauna kami. Nakita namin na nakabukas ang mga tindahan kaya bumaba na kami para i-secure ang area. Ang problema, sa dami ng tao, may nagsidatingan kaagad na mga kasama nila at kinuyog kami," said Arnaldo.

He also said that some of their agents were briefly trapped in some stalls being raided after the owners forcibly closed their stores.

He said the vendors attacked the operatives who were holding the sacks containing pirated materials despite the efforts of some leaders who tried to pacify the situation.

Operatives failed to arrest any of the vendors as they quickly left the area when the commotion began.

Police from Carbon Police Station and from CCPO including the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and Cebu City Public Safety Company were among the operatives who helped contain the situation and restore control.

The confiscated items were immediately brought to OMB's main office in Manila for destruction.