Cops raid fake VCD stalls in Greenhills

Over P2-million worth of pirated video compact discs (VCD), featuring film entries to the recently-concluded Metro Manila Filmfest, were seized last Thursday by a joint team from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Video Regulatory Board in San Juan.

CIDG chief Director Nestorio Gualberto said the raids at the stalls in Virra Mall in Greenhills, were conducted after VRB chairperson Lualhati Buenafe sought police help for the proliferation of the pirated compact discs.

"The copyright laws protecting legitimate manufacturers of the VCDs have been violated prompting them to complain to the Videogram Regulatory Board," he said.

Gualberto said his men are tracking down the syndicate engaged in the illegal duplication of the VCDs.

According to Gualberto, CIDG operatives under Superintendent Josefino Cataluña and Alberto Patrimonio have filed charges against Andang Salaiman, 26, of Lanao del Sur; Baid’z Sultan Andia, 34, of Quiapo, Manila; Junior Sarup, 19, of San Juan; David Ascal, 22, of Muslim Center; Hamael Sarip, 25, of Sta. Cruz, Antipolo City; Hafza Lalapung, 22, of Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City; Michael Sultan, 27, of West Crame, Quezon City and Gum Daligdig, 28, of Quiapo, Manila.

Police officials said Von Alfabeto, chief of the VRB Intelligence Unit, accompanied the police during the raid.

In Manila, robbers divested a 29-year-old messenger of some $1,100 in cash in Malate the other day.

Police identified the victim as Leonardo Anton, 29, an employee of the SLT Construction. The victim’s cash was contained inside a manila envelope which was grabbed by the suspects who jumped off the jeep after the incident.

According to police, the victim was aboard a passenger jeepney at about 2 p.m. when the two robbers announced the heist as they neared the Aristocrat Restaurant along M.H. del Pilar street in Malate, Manila.

The armed suspects who were positioned at the middle and rear portion of the jeepney, then quickly grabbed the envelope containing the cash. — Christina Mendez and Mike Frialde