By Ferdinand Patinio
MANILA – An operation in several warehouses inside a complex in Manila has resulted in the confiscation of close to PHP16 billion worth of counterfeit products.
In a news release on Monday, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said over 1.727 million pieces of counterfeit products amounting to around PHP15.8 billion were seized during the operation in Divisoria on May 23.
The fake items included bags, clothes, and accessories illegally using the trademarks of well-known global brands such as Guess, Michael Kors, Coach, Louis Vuitton, and Tory Burch.
The BOC said the operation was part of the efforts to ramp up the campaign against counterfeit goods and intellectual property rights (IPR) violations, which is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to eliminate illegal trade and protect Filipino consumers.
“We are serious about our mission to keep counterfeit goods out of the country,” BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said.
“This is about protecting the public, supporting legitimate businesses, and ensuring a level playing field in the market.”
For his part, lawyer Kristian Nico Acosta, legal head of Guess Group in the Philippines, warned the public about the health and safety risks, as well as the economic harm, posed by counterfeit products.
Acosta also urged consumers to avoid buying such fake items, stressing that they undermine legitimate businesses and distort fair competition in the market. (PNA)
