The Criminal Investigation & Detection Group in Negros Oriental raided a warehouse on Thursday in barangay Banilad for alleged violations of the law banning the sale of used clothing, locally known as ukay-ukay.
Armed with a search warrant issued by Municipal Trial Circuit Court Judge Dinah Tabada-Chu for violation of Republic Act 4653, CIDG operatives led by Lt. Col. Ariel Tolorio Huesca seized 326 large and small bales of used clothing inside the warehouse, plus six bales of imported fake pairs of shoes with an estimated value of P2.2 million.
RA 4653 is also known as “An Act to Safeguard the Health of the People and Maintain the Dignity of the Nation by Declaring it a National Policy to Prohibit the Commercial Importation of Textile Articles commonly Known as Used Clothing and Rags”.
Huesca said a walk-in informant reported the operation of the suspects, identified as Guo Xin Huo and Lauro Lastima of Purok 6.
Upon questioning, Guo could not present the necessary documents for her entry to the Philippines. She is now in the custody of the CIDG.
Huesca is coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration to determine the entry status of the suspect, who claimed in an interview that she is merely a caretaker of the used items.
Lastima, on the other hand, claimed he applied as helper at the warehouse, and is paid by Guo P300 per day for his services. (PNA)
