Fewer fakes seized than record '24 haul

The government has confiscated over P18 billion worth of counterfeit goods from January to September, a sharp 47 percent decline from the record-high seizures recorded in the same period last year.

- By DEXTER BARRO II

Data from the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR) showed that its member agencies seized P18.64 billion worth of counterfeit products in the first nine months, well below the P35.28 billion recorded last year.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) accounted for the lion's share of this year's haul with P17.21 billion or just over 92 percent of the total.

This was followed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), with seizures amounting to P980.36 million and P456.72 million, respectively.