With his job reportedly on the line, Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez continues to deliver.
Alvarez on Tuesday led in the shredding of fake branded shoes, bags and accessories confiscated last year that, had they been real, would have been worth P100 million.
He said that this year the Bureau of Customs (BOC) had seized P1.3-billion worth of fake products from January to August.
Alvarez led customs officials in shredding the imitation Lacoste, Nike, Louis Vuitton, Diesel and adidas products at the Manila Harbor Center.
鈥淭he China-made knock-offs were seized from warehouses being used by smugglers to store the counterfeit goods they supply to retail outlets at 168 Mall in Divisoria and other bargain centers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces,鈥� Alvarez said.
鈥淭his should serve as a stern warning to smugglers that we鈥檙e not going to go slow in going after them,鈥� he added.
Malaca帽ang earlier announced that Alvarez was going to be replaced but, as of yesterday, he had yet to receive a formal notice from the Palace.
鈥淭here鈥檚 none yet. (I鈥檓 waiting) by the day (but) there鈥檚 life after customs,鈥� Alvarez said.
Lawyer Zsae Carrie de Guzman, head of the BOC Intellectual Property Rights Division, said the fake products shredded Tuesday were seized from 鈥渢wo or three consignees鈥� who smuggled them in from China through different Philippine ports.
She said the BOC was preparing to file criminal charges against the brokers and consignees, including a firm identified as Tongda.
鈥淭hese are being destroyed to show the brand owners that we are serious in going after intellectual property violators,鈥� De Guzman said.
Alvarez said the shredding was witnessed by representatives of the Intellectual Property Rights Office of the Philippines, the United States Department of Homeland Security and the legitimate manufacturers and distributors of the branded products.
鈥淣obody should profit from making a mockery of intellectual property rights,鈥� Alvarez said.
De Guzman said the smuggling of imitation products into the country was in decline.
鈥淏efore we would catch 10 containers a week. Now we get six containers a week,鈥� she said.