AUTHORITIES seized some P1 million worth of counterfeit bath soap bars at a grocery store in Cogon market complex Tuesday, November 22.
At around 10:30 a.m., a joint force of the Detective Management Desk, City Public Safety Company, and the Cagayan de Oro Police Station 2 confiscated 192 boxes of Safeguard soap bars which contained 59,144 pieces of the bath soap at SKO Merchandising located at the market’s ground floor.
Suspects Cecile Daclag and Chen Rui Kun Li, the grocery store owners, are being searched by authorities and are still at large.
Police Chief Inspector Harvey Abellanosa said that a complaint was filed by representatives of Procter and Gamble Corporation against SKO Merchandising which led for authorities to implement a search warrant in the establishment.
The suspects would be facing charges in violation of section 177.1 in relation to sections 216 and 217 of Republic Act (RA) 8293 or Copyright Infringement, violation of section 168 in relation to section 170 of RA 8293 or Unfair Competition, and violation of section 155 in relation to 170 of RA 8293 or Trade Infringement.
Meanwhile, the confiscated counterfeit soap bars were turned over and are being held at the Cagayan de Oro Police Headquarters.
"After the SKO Merchandising, there are other stores that are targeted to be inspected because of the complaint coming from the representatives of Procter and Gamble Co.," Abellanosa said.