Actor leads raids; P16.5million fake CDs seized

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY — At least P16.5 million worth of pirated compact discs (CDs) were sized by combined police operatives and elements of the Optical Media Board headed by OMB chairman and actor Ronnie Rickets from hundreds of sidewalk vendors at the central business district area here during a surprise operation last week.

The confiscated CDs were packed in over 500 sacks that were loaded in a truck and will be subjected for public destruction anytime.

According to Senior Supt. Agripino Javier, city police director, the proliferation of pirated CDs, VCDs, and DVDs in the city’s central business district area will now be minimized and eventually eradicated since law enforcers and the OMB will be frequently conducting surprise operations in the coming days.

OMB officials were in the city over the weekend to attend to the complaints from numerous individuals on the alleged proliferation of pirated CDs, VCDs, and DVDs along the sidewalks of the central business district area.

According to Javier, the presence of vendors of pirated CDs along the city’s sidewalks impede free flow of people, thus, the need for frequent operations to minimize the proliferation of illegal CDs patronized by residents and tourists.

Operations against pirated CDs must be done by law enforcers with proper guidance from the OMB and other regulating agencies.

Pirated CDs in the city are being sold for as low as P20 depending on the quality of material used in duplicating the original copy of the movie or event.

Javier told legitimate vendors of CDS, VCDs, and DVDs here that more operations will be conducted by the police and the OMB the coming days to eventually rid the city of pirated CDs which the younger generation could easily access even buying pornographic movies.

The police official said free access of the youth to pornographic materials and movies affect their morality, thus, the need for operations to curb presence of pirated materials along the city’s sidewalks.

The seized pirated CDs are being subjected to an inventory by the OMB and concerned police operatives before the same will be destroyed in front of the public.