Cops seize pirated Pacquiao-Hatton bout DVDs

MANILA, Philippines - Hundreds of pirated digital video disc (DVD) copies of the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight were confiscated by the police in a raid on the Divisoria market in Binondo, Manila yesterday.

Meisic police station chief Superintendent Nelson Yabut said they could have seized many more DVDs if the vendors had not received a tip about the raid.

The raid was disguised as an operation against undisciplined vendors in Divisoria , but Yabut instructed his men to look for the pirated copies that reportedly flooded the streets of Quiapo, Sta. Cruz and Divisoria just hours after the fight ended at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“The vendors immediately hid their wares and we could not search them in the absence of a warrant. What we confiscate was only those displayed prominently by the vendors,” Yabut said.

The Paquiao-Hatton DVD tapes were sold “like hotcakes” at P100 each, and Yabut said he is still determing the source of the tapes.

There were reports that the copies were taped by unscrupulous traders through the satellite “pay per view” footage.

Yabut said he will turn the tapes over to the Optical Media Board.     – Nestor Etolle