SPD buries fake VCDs

To signal a renewed campaign against film piracy, the Southern Police District (SPD) yesterday afternoon buried 3,000 pieces of pirated and pornographic video compact discs (VCDs) confiscated in recent raids.

Superintendent Jose Gentiles, SPD-Intelligence and Investigation Division chief, said they were unable to concentrate on anti-piracy operations in the past months because they had to attend to other security and peace and order concerns.

The DIID had beefed up anti-terrorism measures for the elections and recently with the state of the nation address (SONA).

But now, Gentiles said, they are determined to revive the campaign against the vending of pirated films. "We will not give up. We will hit them (vendors), where it hurts most — their pockets."

"We have observed that vendors of illegal VCDs keep coming back because it is their livelihood. But with our intensified campaign against piracy, we hope to discourage them and convince them to shift to legitimate businesses," he said.

The illegal VCDs were collected from two raids along Taft Avenue in Pasay City last Friday and at Baclaran, Parañaque City early yesterday morning.

The confiscated VCDs, worth around P90,000, were be buried at a garbage dump.

"We won’t burn them because this violates the Clean Air Act. Instead we would put scratches on the discs and bury them so they can no longer be used," Gentiles said.

The DIID, assisted by SPD Traffic head Superintendent Enecito Ubales, joined forces during the raids, which also targeted pornographic materials. – Evelyn Macairan