By ANTHONY GIRON
CAMP GEN. PANTALEON GARCIA, IMUS, Cavite – Fake medicines, including fever pills, cold and cough tablets, abound in Cavite.
This was revealed by a man who admitted to perpetrating the crime upon his arrest on Wednesday.
Von Reineree Cruz Hernandez, a former employee of Unilever Philippines, divulged to authorities he is only one several individuals into the illegal practice and that they have penetrated most pharmaceutical stores in the province.
Hernandez related he distributed counterfeit medicines to some 200 stores in Imus alone.
Seized from the 28-year old’s residence in Tierra Solana Pontevedra Subdivision in Barangay Buenavista III, General Trias were 10 large boxes containing assorted United Laboratories Inc. medicines among others.
Hernandez said the contraband is worth around P120,000 to P150,000.
Two other people into the same scheme were nabbed by police in separate operations the same day in Silang and Dasmariñas.
The suspects, identified as Den Mar Genese Temporada, 27 and Darwin Cruz Purificacion, 28, yielded five boxes of Alaxan FR capsule, five boxes of Biogesic tablets, five boxes Bioflu tablets, five boxes Medicol soft gel capsules, five boxes of Solmux capsules, 19 boxes of Neozep Forte tablets and five boxes of Diatabs capsules, all deemed fake.
Cavite police said they will file charges in court against Hernandez, Temporada and Purificacion in violation of Republic Act 8203 (A Special Law Against Counterfeit Drugs).