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Manila Bulletin devider devider PNP instructed to file economic sabotage case against makers and sellers of fake medicines

PNP instructed to file economic sabotage case against makers and sellers of fake medicines

Published Apr 2, 2018 12:42 pm
By Aaron Recuenco Malacañang has instructed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to file a case of economic sabotage against the manufacturers and sellers of fake medicines in order to make sure they will not be able to post bail. PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said legal advisers in Malacañang has studied potential cases that could be filed against manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of fake medicines and they found out that the case could fall under economic sabotage which is a nonbailable offense. PNP Chief Ronald PNP Chief Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa
(Mark Balmores / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) “In cases like this before, we usually file a case of violation of Intellectual Property Rights which is a bailable offense. This was studied in Malacañang and we were given instructions by the President to file economic sabotage next time that we arrest somebody,” dela Rosa said. “This is to ensure that those manufacturing, distributing and selling counterfeit medicines will not be able to post bail anymore,” he added. Economic sabotage has a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and hefty penalties. President Duterte earlier ordered law enforcement agencies to run after those behind the proliferation of fake medicines in the market citing great danger to public health. On the part of the PNP, it was the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group which was instructed to help carry out the order of the Chief Executive. But so far, dela Rosa admitted that no arrest has been made since Duterte’s order. “The operations are ongoing. but we gave instructions to our men in the regions to operate along with our Food and Drugs Administration,” dela Rosa said. For his part, CIDG chief Director Roel Obusan said they have already initiated coordination with the FDA to identify manufacturers and sellers of fake medicines on how to carry out the President’s order. CIDG records stated that since last year, 13 operations were conducted which led to the arrest of 20 people.
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