PASG Raids Fake Shampoo Factory in Payatas

abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines – Operatives of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) confiscated several bottles of fake shampoo during a raid at a “factory” near the Payatas dump site in Quezon City on Friday.

"We raided a place in Payatas, marami kaming nakuhang samples which we believe that its fake, meron itong ingredients na supposed to be ginagawang shampoo," said Danilo Mangila, PASG assistant director.

PASG arrested during the raid Analyn Diaz, Jericho Logatcho and Lucrecia Logatcho.
Mangila said the suspects collect used shampoo bottles from the Payatas dumpsite, clean and fill these with fake shampoo.

Each shampoo bottle contains sodium sulfate, iodized salt, starch, water and a sachet of real shampoo for fragrance.

The fake shampoos were sold house-to-house, on the street and even at small sari-sari stores at a cheap promo price.

Mangila said the factory has been operating for the past 6 months, and has the capacity to produce nearly 500 bottles of fake shampoo everyday.

He said some victims complained about the supposed bad effects of
these fake shampoos.

"’Pag dumating dun sa lower portion [ng bottle], medyo nangangati ulo nila, tapos nagkakaroon ng ano sa balat," said the PASG deputy chief.

Among the “brands” being sold by fake shampoo manufacturers are Clear, Sunsilk, Palmolive, Head and Shoulders, Pantene and Rejoice.

The PASG said the suspects are liable for violation of Sec. 168 of R.A. 8293 or the Intellectual Property Rights and Consumer Acts.

Mangila said they are currently coordinating with legitimate shampoo manufacturers to bolster their case against the suspects.

DAVAO: 2 Men Sued for Selling Fake Soap and Shampoo

By Arianne Caryl N. Casas

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

TWO men have been charged before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) for selling fake Unilever products in Davao City.

Sued were Benito Lorenzo and Maricon Lequisin, both from Davao City, for violation of section 168 in relation to section 170 of Republic Act 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.

Lorenzo and Lequisin were earlier arrested for selling, distributing, retailing and offering for sale counterfeit Clear, Cream Silk, Dove, Lux, Sunsilk and Vaseline products that look like the genuine Unilever products.

Unilever’s lawyer Ma. Cecilia Gironella filed the charges against Lorenzo and Lequisin.
Fake Dove, SunSilk and Clear products were seized from Lorenzo's store at Lachmi Shopping Mall after a search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 21 Manila.
A test-buy and ensuing raid confirmed that the products seized were counterfeit.

Assistant state prosecutor Tofel Austria of DOJ Manila, in his resolution dated May 9, said the respondent's act was "intentionally deceiving."

Austria, in his separate resolution dated May 15, found probable cause to charge Lequisin for the same violation. Lequisin allegedly sold fake Sun Silk, Clear, and Dove products.

Austria recommended P10,000 bail for the respondents' temporary liberty.

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on October 19, 2011.

Fake Shampoo Seized by NBI in Quiapo Raid

Some P800,000 worth of counterfeit shampoo and hair conditioners were seized by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation during a raid conducted over the weekend in Quiapo, Manila.

Arrested was Dong Jin Pei, alleged owner of the raided stockroom located at the 5th floor of the Equitable Banking Corp. building.

According to the NBI's Intellectual Property Rights Division, a complaint was filed by Unilever Philippines last July 27.

The firm asked the NBI to go after the unauthorized retailers, dealers and manufacturers of fake Unilever shampoo and hair conditioner brands Vaseline, Lux, Sunsilk, and Creamsilk.

After conducting a surveillance operation and securing a search warrant from Manila Judge Antonio Eugenio Jr., NBI-IPRD agents swooped down on the suspect's stockroom last Saturday.

During the raid, a commotion erupted when an NBI agent was allegedly attacked with a cutter and kicked in the thigh by Bonnie Sy, reportedly a relative of Dong.

Found inside the suspect's stockroom were 210 boxes of assorted fake Sunsilk and Lux shampoo products. Each box contained about 288 sachets, the NBI said.

Charges for unfair competition and direct assault have been filed against Dong and Sy, who were both detained at the NBI detention cell.

Meanwhile, a janitor was electrocuted while cleaning an elevator inside a moviehouse in Manila university belt area last Monday morning.

Manila police homicide investigators identified the victim as Lorenzo Briez, 24, of 3990 V. Mapa St., Sta. Mesa, Manila.

Investigation showed that the victim, along with a certain Nestor Ellar, a fellow janitor, were cleaning the second floor of the Tandem theater building when they smelled the odor of a dead rat inside the elevator.

Police said Briez then opened the access panel of the elevator thinking that the dead rodent was inside. Seconds later, he was electrocuted when he accidentally touched an exposed electrical wire.

Briez died on the way to the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center.  by Mike Frialde

PASG Nabs 2 for Manufacturing Fake Shampoo

By Paolo Romero

MANILA, Philippines - Two businesswomen in Quezon City were arrested yesterday by agents of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) for allegedly manufacturing fake shampoo, with poor families as their workers.

PASG officer-in-charge Danilo Mangila said 15 agents, acting on a tip, raided a row of shanties in Barangay Sandakot, Payatas at around 9 a.m. and caught members of a family filling used shampoo bottles of different brands with a white liquid that could pass as shampoo.
Agents seized 229 empty and filled shampoo bottles of brands Clear, Sunsilk, Palmolive, Head and Shoulders, Pantene, and Rejoice as well as pails of sodium laureth sulfate, a shampoo ingredient; bags of starch and iodized salt; and bottles of cheap scents.
Mangila said the family of three pointed to Niceta Bumolo of Karopal Gen. Merchandise and Luz Fernandez of L.A.F Balloons, Chairs, and Tables For Rent, both from Barangay Commonwealth in Quezon City as their employers.

He said the family would most likely be let off as they were so poor and they claimed they did not know what they were doing was illegal.

Bumolo and Fernandez were arrested at their shops yesterday.

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“They (Bumolo and Fernandez) would be charged for violation of provisions of the Intellectual Property Rights law and the Consumer Act,” Mangila told a news briefing at the Palace.
PASG Director Jeffrey Patawaran, who led the raid, said they are validating reports that families in other shanties in Payatas as well as other parts of Metro Manila were being used as cheap labor for the scheme. Mangila said there were also similar reports of the scheme in Cebu.
Patawaran said the businesswomen buy the empty bottles from junk shops and even dump sites and have them cleaned.

“So the garbage segregation and recycling they’re doing is for a different purpose and the families say this is their livelihood,” Mangila said.

Patawaran said iodized salt, starch, sodium laureth sulfate and scent are mixed together in a bucket and then poured into the recycled bottles, stopping just before the bottle is full.
The remaining space is filled with the real shampoo taken from sachets, so when the buyer opens the bottle, she or he smells the real thing, Patawaran said.

He said these fake shampoos are sold at market stalls or offered door to door by decently dressed vendors.

Mangila said lawyers of the manufacturers of various shampoo brands have already coordinated with them for the filing of charges.

SOURCE: http://www.philstar.com/metro/581054/pasg-nabs-2-manufacturing-fake-shampoo

BEWARE OF BUYING VERY CHEAP SHAPOO CAUSE IT'S FAKE

Usually, visiting provinces and approaching stores to offer a bulk of shampoo of different brands and different variants. It comes so cheap that you will really find it a good buy. Before you make that decision, make sure you do a random check. Do not rely on the samples they have to be shown to you. The shampoo are packed in 6 pieces, covered with tight plastic cellophane or body wraps, to make you believe it's REAL.

NOTICEABLE THINGS:

It's wrapped tightly in 6 pieces per pack. You'll be shy to ask them to open it.

It's very cheap.

They are in a hurry, will tell you that it's the EXCESS of the orders delivered in a nearby GROCERY or STORE.

The labels or stickers are not cleanly pasted on the body of the bottles.

Check the scents and the content (same in different variants).

They will not inform you if they can come back for more orders.

Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group officer-in-charge Danilo Mangila pours fake shampoo into a pail containing the same mixture during a press conference at Malacañang’s briefing room yesterday. by WILLY PEREZ


PLEASE SHARE THIS INFO TO HELP OTHERS. DO NOT BE A VICTIM. BE INFORMED!