Joint operatives of the Manila City government and Manila Police District (MPD) raided the so-called “Recto University,” or shops engaged in making fake documents and university diplomas, and arrested at least 14 alleged, an official said Thursday.

Manila City Administrator Jesus Marzan said that they raided at least nine stalls along Recto Avenue in Sta.Cruz, Manila, following a directive of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim to close all shops in the city that had been engaging in the creation of counterfeit documents.

Arrested during the raids were Crisanto Borja, Jomer Domingo, Mark Anthony Mustasa, Alfredo Castro, Leonardo Sambillo, Grace Santo, Emma Lim, Zeny Castillo, Lando Jologado, Bombet Franias, Edmund Era, Oscar Magno, Crispin Francisco, and Myla Tuazon.

“Mayor Lim wanted to erase that image of Manila as the capital of bogus documents and fake diploma mill. He wants the so-called ‘Recto University’ be closed for good," Marzan said.

Recto University was a term coined for shops in Recto area which produce fake diplomas and transcripts of records.

The prizes of such documents ranges from P500 to P1,000 depending on the school of choice of clients of the shops.

“However, it was more expensive if their client chose to falsify diplomas of exclusive schools or known universities,” Marzan said.