The Chinese owners of the establishment shut down by the Manila city government for selling products with the label “Manila Province, PR China” will be prosecuted first before they are deported, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Friday.
The Justice Secretary explained a foreigner who committed offenses in the Philippines can be deported “after an alien has been duly prosecuted and penalized in our country.”
Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso ordered the closure of the establishment and has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to investigate its owners.
“May potential liability for mislabeling ang manufacturer and or distributor of the product (The manufacturer and the distributor may be held liable for mislabeling),” said Guevarra.
“And if the product itself has not been approved for local use by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), the violation takes on a more serious character,” he added.
Guevarra assured that once a complaint has been filed, the Department of Justice (DoJ) will give “the people involved an opportunity to be heard.”
“The end goal is of course to determine any administrative and/or criminal liability after a proper investigation,” he said.