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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Metro Manila devider Manila cops seize P950K expired goods in Quiapo

Manila cops seize P950K expired goods in Quiapo

Published Jun 17, 2026 03:03 pm

Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso announced on Wednesday, June 17, the arrest of five vendors who were caught selling approximately P950,000 worth of expired food products and household merchandise inside a busy establishment at Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila.

Manila City Mayor Francisco
Manila City Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso, alongside Special Mayor Reaction Team operatives, inspects confiscated digital date-tampering machines and over P950,000 worth of seized expired food products following a late-night raid that led to the arrest of five market vendors in Quiapo on Tuesday, June 16. (Photo courtesy of Manila PIO)
Joint operatives from the Special Mayor Reaction Team and the Plaza Miranda Police Community Precinct busted the illicit network at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, following a tip from an informant.

The emergency operation was carried out to protect unsuspecting public consumers from severe foodborne illnesses and food poisoning hazards during economic hardships.

Authorities discovered that the syndicate deliberately targeted low-income marketplace shoppers by operating a hidden, localized date falsification laboratory right inside the commercial district.

Police deployed plainclothes investigators to validate the intelligence report.

Upon confirming the ongoing illegal trade, the police force moved into the structure to secure the physical evidence and detain the sellers.

A thorough search of the commercial building led investigators to a public comfort room located on the second floor.

The division tracking the syndicate caught suspects identified as Melvin Imperial, Allen Bautista, John Clifford Sagun, Analyn Colangoy, and Geelyn Santillan actively distributing the altered items when the tactical unit breached the facility.

Inside the compound, the group utilized this hidden, unsanitary space to execute the tampering process by using strong chemical solvents to systematically scrub off original factory production details from aging packaging.
Workers then utilized digital tampering machinery to print fresh, extended shelf-life markers onto the compromised items before sealing them for delivery.

Law enforcement officers documented a highly organized distribution setup equipped to alter grocery items on a commercial scale during the search.

The confiscated haul included assorted expired canned goods, packaged snacks, and condiments with an estimated market value of P950,000.
Detectives also recovered three handheld digital tampering devices used to print crisp, industrial-looking fake expiration codes directly onto plastic and tin containers.

The local chief executive emphasized that the city government will remain aggressive against merchants exploiting consumers with deceptively cheap items.

"Maaari tayo'y nakamumura at mukhang mura, pero hindi ho lahat ng mura ay maganda. Baka mayroon hong dahilan kung bakit ito'y mura (We might be saving money and it looks cheap, but not everything cheap is good. There might be a reason why it is cheap)," Domagoso warned during a live broadcast.

"Hindi po namin ito tutulugan. May gobyerno po sa Lungsod ng Maynila at ito'y pananatilihin namin (We will not sleep on this. There is a government in the City of Manila and we will maintain it)," the mayor added.

The city government will file criminal complaints against the suspects for violating the Consumer Act of the Philippines (RA 7394) and the Food Safety Act of 2013 (RA 10611) before the Office of the City Prosecutor in Manila.

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METRONEWS QUIAPO MANILA Isko Moreno
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