Traders rapped for unregistered drugs

The National Bureau of Investigation has filed criminal charges against two drugstore operators for violations of the Foods, Drugs and Cosmetics Law after they were found selling unregistered medicines during simultaneous raids last Valentine’s Day.

Charged before the Cebu City Prosecutors Office for violating Republic Act 3720 as amended by Executive Order 175 under Sections 7 and 8 were Christopher Labor and Manuel Roa, owners of CHL Health Shop and De Oro Therapeutic Center, respectively.

Labor’s drugstore located inside a mall in Colon Street and that of Roa inside a mall in the North Reclamation Area were found to be selling Shilintong capsules, a medicine for kidney failure, which is not registered with the Bureau of Food and Drugs.

NBI operatives raided Labor’s and Roa’s drugstores simultaneously last Valentine’s Day based on a search warrant issued by Municipal Trial Court in Cities executive judge Oscar Andrino.  

Seized from Roa’s drugstore were 11 bottles of Shilintong capsules, each bottle containing 100 pieces and nine bottles of Sumalin, another unregistered drug.  There were also three bottles of Shilintong seized from CHL Health Shop.

Investigator Arnel Pura said they conducted a surveillance of the said drugstores after they received an intelligence report of the alleged unregistered imported products sold there.

Based on the samples bought by an undercover NBI agent, a certification was obtained from the BFAD that the said medicines are not registered with them.  — Fred P. Languido/MEEV