Agents of the Anti-Fraud and Commercial Crimes Division (AFCCD) of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) turned in counterfeit items valued at more than P11 million in a series of raids in Tutuban Center, Shoppesville Arcade, and the University of the Philippines Shopping Center.

"We will conduct follow-up operations in these establishments," Noel delos Reyes, AFCCD chief, said. "We are looking into the inclusion of building owners in the charges we are filing against the retailers. This was one of the directives of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her memorandum on November 17, 2006," the police senior superintendent added.

The memorandum, among others, stated to consider enforcing criminal, civil or administrative liability of owners of buildings, such as malls, that lease space to establishments selling pirated and counterfeit goods.

"The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IP Philippines) is actively promoting respect for intellectual property rights (IPR) to encourage creativity, attract investments which generate employment," Atty. Adrian S. Cristobal Jr., IP Philippines' Director General, said. "The successful raids are the result of effective inter-agency coordination - from the issuance of search warrants by the courts to actual enforcement operations," he added.

IP Philippines, the lead coordinator of inter-agency efforts against piracy and counterfeiting, recently organized an advanced course for commercial court judges. Reynaldo G. Ros, executive judge of the Regional Trial Court (Branch 33) of Manila, issued the search warrants for the three raids.

More than P10 million worth of fake Louis Vuitton items were seized in various stalls of Tutuban Cluster Building and Center Mall Prime Block located in Tutuban Center. In Shoppesville Arcade, 25 stalls were raided for selling counterfeit Lacoste products with an estimated value of P750,000. Meanwhile in stall 36 of the University of the Philippines Shopping Center, assorted books, photocopy machines, and ring binders valued at half a million pesos were seized. The police invited three people for further investigation and arrested one stall owner.