2 men caught selling fake meds
AUTHORITIES arrested two men allegedly posing as medical sales representatives selling assorted fake medicines, mostly paracetamol, in an entrapment operation Monday evening in Quezon City.
The arrest of Jessieco Ibarola, 47 of No. 30 BF Road, Brgy. Holy Spirit and Francisco Ramal, 45 of 93 Mindanao St. Phase 4, Lupang Pangako, Payatas stemmed from a complaint lodged by a man from Caloocan City who suffered allergy after taking fake paracetamol medicine he bought from Ibarola.
After receiving the complaint, NPD District Special Operation Unit (DSOU) head P/Lt. Col. Jay Dimaandal and his men conducted a planned entrapment operation, in coordination with operatives of Holy Spirit Police Station 14 led by P/Lt. Anthony Dacquel and representatives of the Regulatory Enforcement Unit of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) against the suspects at around 9:00 p.m. along BF Road, Bgy. Holy Spirit in Quezon City resulted in the arrest of Ibarola and Ramal.
Police confiscated assorted counterfeit medicines, including several boxes of fake paracetamol tablets, tablets for dry cough, antibiotic tablets, anti-cholesterol, tablets for hypertension, food supplements, and many others.
The selling of fake paracetamol medicines proliferates in many areas in Metro Manila after a branded paracetamol ran out of stock in local drugstores.
Case investigator P/MSgt. Julius Mabasa said around P109,000.00 worth of fake medicines were seized by joint operatives of NPD and Quezon City Police from the suspects.
Charges of violation of Section 4 of R.A. 8203 or the Special Law on Counterfeit Drugs were filed against the suspects before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.
