Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso announced the arrest of five vendors in Quiapo for selling expired food products worth approximately P950,000 and tampering with expiration labels to make the items appear safe for consumption.
The suspects—identified as Melvin Imperial, Allen Bautista, John Clifford Sagun, Analyn Colangoy, and Geelyn Santillan—were apprehended following a tip from a confidential informant.
“Napakadelikadong sitwasyon ito na posibleng mangyari pa sa ibang bahagi ng Maynila.”
“Napakadelikadong sitwasyon ito na posibleng mangyari pa sa ibang bahagi ng Maynila,” Domagoso said.
“Maaari tayo’y nakamumura at mukhang mura, pero hindi ho lahat ng mura ay maganda. Baka mayroon hong dahilan kung bakit ito’y mura,” the mayor warned.
Acting on the intelligence, operatives of the Special Mayor’s Reaction Team (S.Ma.R.T) under Police Lt. Col. Edward Samonte, together with Plaza Miranda Police Community Precinct (PCP) personnel led by Police Major Fredwin Sernio, conducted surveillance and validation before moving in on the suspects.
Authorities recovered assorted expired food products and merchandise valued at around P950,000, as well as three tampering devices used to alter and reprint expiration dates on the products.
“Actual na naaktuhan po natin na nagbebenta itong mga suspects ng mga expired products,” Samonte told the Mayor during a “Talk to the People” Facebook livestream.
Citing police information, Domagoso disclosed that investigators also found the suspects cleaning and altering the date labels inside a comfort room on the second floor of the establishment, with a digital tampering device used to print false expiration dates recovered from one of the suspects’ possession.
“Kahit gabi, kahit madaling-araw, pipilitin po naming maging epektibo kayong paglingkuran at ipang-ibabaw lagi sa aming pananaw ang inyong kapakanan at kaligtasan,” Domagoso said.
“Hindi po namin ito tutulugan.”
“Hindi po namin ito tutulugan. May gobyerno po sa Lungsod ng Maynila at ito’y pananatilihin namin,” he said.
The suspects were informed of the nature of their arrest and their constitutional rights, then brought to Justice Abad Santos Medical Center for medical examination before being taken to the S.Ma.R.T office for documentation.
Appropriate charges for violation of Republic Act (RA) 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines and RA 10611 or the Food Safety Act of 2013 are being prepared for referral to inquest proceedings before the Office of the City Prosecutor of Manila.
