Congressman wants fake goods donated to calamity victims

MANILA, Philippines - A bill was filed at the House of Representatives urging the Bureau of Customs (BOC), Philippine National Police, Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and other law enforcement agencies to donate counterfeit goods from raids to the victims of calamities.

 

Cagayan De Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez authored House Resolution 1549, noting that instead of destroying confiscated fake products, said goods could be given to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for distribution to calamity victims.

 

"The victims of calamities could certainly use these counterfeit goods especially the clothing and shoes," Rodriguez said.

 

The lawmaker cited the P500 million worth of confiscated smuggled goods in Tondo, Manila such as batteries, branded children's products, steel buttons, perfumes and other fake products which were destroyed using tanks and a steamroller.

 

An amount of P200 million counterfeit products were seized last March at the Manila International Container, according to the BOC. 

 

The IPOPHL reported that P6.84 billion worth of fake goods were confiscated in a span of five months, which recorded a 114 percent surge from the previous year's collection.

 

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