DAVAO CITY—The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Mindanao will be proactive against counterfeit, unregistered, adulterated and misbranded drugs, food, cosmetics and health products this holiday season.
Police Regional Offices and other PNP units in Mindanao are currently undergoing a five-day training on FDA law enforcement, said Chief Inspector Al Paglinawan, PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management legal officer.
Insp. Paglinawan said the training is part of the FDA-PNP Task Force D-PUNCH, which stands for Destruction of Products Unfit for the Consumption of Humans.
“This task force was created by virtue of a memorandum of agreement signed by PNP chief Director Gen. Ronald dela Rosa and FDA Director General Nela Charade Puno,” he said.
He said the partnership was sealed by the two agencies since the FDA before could only enforce the administrative aspect of the violations and not the criminal aspects.
Paglinawan said there are FDA laws that carry criminal liability, but the agency so has no investigating skills. With the partnership, FDA will benefit from stronger enforcement of the agency’s mandate.
However, the police official clarified FDA will still take charge in the filing of cases against violators. Armando Fenequito Jr/PNA-northboundasia.com