P45-M fake DVDs seized at NAIA

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced yesterday it has seized some 9.5 tons of fake digital video discs (DVDs) and video compact discs (VCDs) worth about P45 million at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) since December last year.

In a press conference held at the BOC-NAIA Customs House at the airport, NAIA Customs District Collector Celso Templo said the illegal copies will be destroyed in about two weeks time.

The seized discs are now in storage at different airport warehouses, namely: the Customs vault at the NAIA complex; Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC); Philippine Skylanders Inc. (PSI) warehouse; Paircargo Warehouse; and Miascor Warehouse.

Templo said the confiscation of the pirated films was a result of a series of operations conducted by the BOC since December 2003 until May this year.

He said the items were in violation of Republic Act 8293, otherwise known as the Intellectual Property Code.

During the press conference, Edu Manzano, newly-appointed Optical Media Board (OMB) chairman and former vice mayor of Makati City, attended the press conference at the Customs House.

The discs were presented by Templo to Manzano and the media yesterday morning. Titles include recent movie releases like Van Helsing and The Secret Window.

Manzano said the BOC-NAIA’s seizure of the fake DVDs and VCDs "signals the start of an aggressive war against video piracy, a war that will pit video piracy syndicates against the allied forces of government agencies."

Templo said the pirated films came from Malaysia, Singapore, Hongkong and Davao City. The items were flown to Manila on different airlines.

Templo said the syndicates use various schemes in smuggling the illegal items, foremost of which is the variable change of the port of origin appearing in the airway bill.

"They are passed upon as goods coming from Singapore and other neighboring Asian countries, although they actually originated from Malaysia through the facility of unscrupulous businessmen in cahoots with some airport personnel," he said.

Manzano, who attended his first ever press conference with the media at the NAIA complex as chief of the OMB, said that the OMB has more power than the Videogram Regulatory Board (VRB) since they now have jurisdiction over films, music, video games and business software.

"We will do our best to support the program of the government to eradicate piracy in the country," he said.

Manzano said the government is also trying to bring back a reward system for people providing information that could lead to the apprehension and arrest of those involved in illegal activities.