The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) has confiscated counterfeit apparel and other products with an estimated value of P200 million in simultaneous raids staged in some buildings located along Cuneta Avenue, Pasay City.
Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon reported that the operations were part of BOC’s countermeasures against all forms of smuggling of fake products into the country, smuggling being a violation of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 8293 (Intellectual Property (IP) Code of the Philippines), and R.A. No. 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act of 2016).
“Our relentless campaigns against smuggling of products with fake brand names keep the Philippines out of the list of notorious countries with inadequate protection and enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to date,” Faledon said.
“Keeping out of the IP watch list gives an improved confidence to foreign investors, especially US companies, to do business in the Philippines, as required by the World Trade Organization’s rule-based trade IP system,” he added.
“Furthermore, it underscores effective protection (for) Filipino consumers.”
Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service director and BOC spokesperson Neil Anthony Estrella reported that the raids were conducted at One Logistics Building and YS Building in Pasay City.
Estrella said that combined agents of the CIIS and the Intellectual Property Rights Division (IPRD), armed with Letter of Authority (LOA) No. 63-01-96-2017 dated March 1, 2017 and supported by local police and barangay officials, held the simultaneous operations.
At One Logistics Building, at least 21 stalls and doors on the third, fifth, and sixth floor were opened and discovered to contain counterfeit apparel with brand names like Nike, Adidas, Vans, and Lacoste, with a total estimated value of some P100 million.
At YS Building, some 11 stalls and doors were opened and a search showed clothing apparel stashed within, carrying fake brand names like Jag, Wrangler, Under Armour, Superman, NBA and having a value of about P100 million also.
“It is assumed that owners of the smuggled counterfeit products have deliberately avoided paying taxes to the government,” Estrella said.
He added that a certain James Chua, who introduced himself as the owner of YS building, is required to provide within 15 days documentary evidence of lawful importation of the counterfeit goods found in his building.
“If he and the owners of counterfeit clothing in One Logistics Building will not be able to provide proper documents on said items, the BOC will have no choice but to padlock the stalls/doors and seize all of the questioned products in favor of the government,” Estrella explained.
He added that the smuggled counterfeit apparel that was confiscated will be condemned to prevent its commercial distribution in the market in observance of the provisions of the IP Code.
IPRD chief Zsae Carrie De Guzman said her office has escalated the campaign against piracy and counterfeiting to avoid revenue loss, which amounts to about P13.3 billion per year.
“It is the mandate of the BOC to run after smugglers of fake brand names, thus, we will keep fighting against them, and good businessmen who dutifully pay correct taxes to the government will be protected, aside from our intent to promote full respect for intellectual property rights,” she said.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
