Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) seized more than P3 million worth of fake branded umbrellas during recent simultaneous raids on two warehouses and a dozen stalls and stores in at least six malls in Manila.
NBI Intellectual Property Rights Division (IPRD) head agent and lawyer Rommel Vallejo announced Tuesday the seizure of 3,322 imitation Umbra Umbrellas from 14 establishments in the city.
Vallejo said that the raids were conducted based on a complaint filed by Edwin Go, a representative of the umbrella company, about the unauthorized manufacture of umbrellas bearing the firm’s brand name.
The NBI immediately conducted test buys to check whether or not there was a basis for the complaint.
After the information was verified, the agency applied for search warrants from Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 24 Judge Antonio Eugenio Jr.
On July 21, teams from the bureau raided two warehouses at 884 Alvarado St. in Binondo and at 1138-1140 Antonio Rivera St. in Tondo.
NBI-IPRD agents also conducted a raid on two stores on Juan Luna Street in Binondo; five stalls at 168 Shopping Mall, including the Sarte Marketing stall owned by Crisanto Sarte, Cynthia Ramos General Merchandise, Fina General Merchandise owned by Rufina Canlas Manango and two other stalls whose owners had yet to be identified.
Also raided were two stalls at Divisoria Mall, one of them the C. Diaz Umbrella Shop; the H. Catral General Merchandise owned by Hannah Catral at Meisic Mall; a stall at the 999 Shopping Mall; and Degala General Merchandise owned by Leila Guia at the 11/88 Shopping Mall.
The owners and operators of the raided stores were charged with violating Republic Act 8293, or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.