BOC asks shoe firms to donate seized footwear

A Bureau of Customs (BOC) official said he will appeal to shoe manufacturers to allow the distribution of P20 million worth of fake branded footwear, seized last Nov. 25 in Pasay City, to the less fortunate.

Lawyer Willie Sarmiento, BOC-Intellectual Property Unit (IPU) chief, said “the two usual modes of disposing are destruction or to re-export them. But to destroy them would entail cost. Who would shoulder the expenses?”

The BOC is trying to talk to companies such as Nike, Adidas, Converse, K Swiss, Puma and Vans to consider the third “extraordinary” option and give the goods to charity.

“The Bureau will try to (convince) the intellectual property right (IPR) owners (referring to the shoe manufacturers) if they would be willing to donate the confiscated items to either the depressed areas or victims of calamities,” Sarmiento said.

He said if they follow regular procedure, the BOC would wait for the companies to issue certificates affirming that the items seized last Nov. 25 in Pasay City were bogus. It is only then that the BOC may claim outright forfeiture of the products and make their appeal for donation.

If the shoe firms agreed, the BOC would turn over the shoes to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), who in turn would identify who should benefit from the donation.

Sarmiento said even if the companies agreed to the third option, he doubts they would be able to distribute the footwear on or before Christmas. The procedure is likely to take at least three to four months because their request would still go through the country and regional representatives before it is forwarded to the head office.

He assured the shoe firms that the donation process would be transparent and they would be invited to the turnover ceremony.  – Evelyn Macairan