SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – Five individuals were arrested for posing as tour guides and misusing the name of a grape brand in Bauang, this province.

The La Union Police Provincial Office (LUPPO) has warned the public against illicit and unauthorized use of established grape farm brands following the operation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation.

LUPPO Director Police Col. Redentor C. Ulsano backed the operation on May 5 in Barangay Urayong.

“The misuse of established brands is not just a violation of intellectual property. It is an act of economic sabotage that penalizes legitimate farmers who have spent years cultivating a grape farm brand in Bauang town,” Ulsano said in a statement.

Gapuz Grapes Farm, in a complaint filed by the owner, said the suspects falsely presented themselves as authorized or accredited tour guides and used the business name “Gapuz Grapes Picking” without authority to lure customers and redirected them to another vineyard not owned or operated by the complainant.

Gapuz Grapes said the scheme caused financial losses and damaged their reputation and goodwill.

The NBI conducted surveillance and case buildup and arrested the suspects in an entrapment operation where the suspects were caught transacting using materials bearing the complainant’s registered business name.

Recovered from the suspects were tarpaulins and signboards marked Gapuz Grapes Picking, the boodle money, and handwritten receipts.

Authorities said this undermines legitimate agritourism businesses and damages the reputation of La Union’s grape industry.

Ulsano said they remain firm in their campaign against illegal trade practices that threaten the province’s economy and agritourism industry.

“We will not allow the integrity of our local farm tourism brand to be compromised by a few individuals looking to make a quick, illicit profit,” he said.

Police urged people to transact only with accredited agritourism sites and look for official signage and certifications issued by local government units or tourism offices and avoid vendors using well-known farm names outside authorized selling areas or offering suspiciously low-priced products.

People were encouraged to immediately report cases of deceptive and unfair trade practices to authorities.

The NBI has filed complaints for unfair competition under the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines against the suspects.