Subic company caught illegally selling laptops, monitors

Authorities on Wednesday, February 24, filed complaints against a computer company here for violating the Optical Media Law after two of its employees were arrested in a sting operation illegally selling laptops and monitors.

A report from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s Law Enforcement Department (SBMA-LED) identified the company as ECR World Technology (PH), which is located at the Subic Bay Gateway Park.

Zhonghua Yuan, a Chinese citizen identified as quality control manager of the company, was held for questioning following the entrapment.

According to SBMA-LED Officer in Charge Gerardo Johnson, the Optical Media Board’s Enforcement and Investigation Division (OMB-EID) supervised the operation here at 3:30 pm on Wednesday.

An OMB intelligence officer was able to buy computer units from two ECR employees at a nearby gasoline station.

Seized from the ECR employees during the operation were 65 pieces of brand-new monitors valued at P1,600 each and 75 pieces of used laptops valued at P4,000 each. All in all the law enforcers confiscated a total of P404,000 worth of laptops and monitors in the entrapment.

Johnson said investigation revealed that the company was selling laptops and monitors through the Facebook account of one of the employees arrested in the set-up.

Following the entrapment, the OMB coordinated a joint inspection of the ECR factory along with the SBMA-LED and the SBMA Intelligence and Investigation Office (SBMA-IIO) to take into preventive custody any unlawful optical or magnetic media and related items.

The notice of inspection was served to Yuan, who was also the officer in charge of the company.

According to the firm’s Certificate of Registration and Tax Exemption (CRTE), ECR World Technology (PH) was engaged in the assembly and manufacturing of electronic equipment such as LCD/LED television sets, desktop computers and peripherals, laptops, DVD players, electronic games, printers and other related electronic goods for import, export and eventual local and international trading.

During the inspection, however, it was discovered that the firm had no OMB license and official receipt that would allow it to sell computer monitors and laptops.

Section 13 of RA 9239 or the Optical Media Act of 2003 required those engaged in the importation, exportation, acquisition, sale or distribution of optical media to register with and secure appropriate licenses from the OMB prior to engaging in said business activities.

Johnson said the OMB team confiscated the items sold during the entrapment, but did not touch other items from the ECR factory. The OMB also advised the firm to secure an OMB license, he added. – Rappler.com