Brothers meted 2 years in jail for selling fake health products

Finding them guilty beyond reasonable doubt, the Regional Trial Court sentenced two brothers to two years, four months and a day behind bars for selling counterfeit food supplement.

Likewise, Executive Judge Cesar Estrera of RTC Branch 29 in Toledo City ordered Sofronio Pintado and his brother, Janedy, to pay a fine of P50,000 to the government.

The case began with the apprehension of the Pintado brothers by the police for selling fake food supplement products of the Lactobacillus Pafi Tech Resources Corporation in Tuburan, Cebu sometime in September 2004.

On March 22, this year, the Pintado brothers pleaded not guilty during the arraignment of the case.

In a sudden turn of events, however, the accused retracted their earlier statement and admitted the crime during the pre-trial of the case June 6 of this year.

“…having admitted all the allegations in the information by their plea guilty, judgment is hereby rendered finding them guilty beyond reasonable doubt and hereby sentences them to suffer the penalty of imprisonment,” Estrera said in his two-page order. – Gerome M. Dalipe/MEEV