PNP welcomes proposal to donate seized fake goods to calamity victims but…

MANILA,‎ Philippines—A Philippine National Police (PNP) official said on Thursday that it welcomes the proposal of a Cagayan de Oro City representative to donate counterfeit goods confiscated in raids to calamity victims.

But according to the PNP Anti-Fraud and Commercial Crimes Division (AFCCD) outgoing head Senior Superintendent Bartolome Bustamante, the proposal may encounter a conflict with the brand owners.

Representative Rufus Rodriguez urged government agencies that instead of destroying counterfeit goods, they should distribute seized items that could be reused by the less fortunate affected by the calamities.

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U‎nder the House Resolution no.1549, Rodriguez proposed that the PNP and the Intellectual Property Office and other law enforcement agencies conducting raids on counterfeit goods to donate the confiscated goods to calamity victims.

“We welcome this development but the brand owners might not approve,” Bustamante said in a phone interview with INQUIRER.net.

‎He said the brand owners, who report to the government to confiscate fake items sold in the market, shoulder the expenses when the goods are destroyed using tanks and steamrollers.

“‎Maybe they could allow the distribution if we assure them that we would remove the fake label from the seized shoes, bags and apparel,” he said in Filipino.

“I just hope the government will approve of this… ,” he added.

Rodriguez said instead of destroying the fake products, some items like shoes, clothes and other personal items could be given to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for subsequent distribution to victims of calamities.‎

But the police official said ‎the government cannot certainly distribute counterfeit and adulterate food products.

“As long as a food is fake, that is non-‎negotiable,” he said.