There is a crackdown to the stalls that sells pirated DVDs and VCDs which was conducted by the agents of the Optical Media Board in coordination with the Police Regional Office-7 and the Cebu City Police Office. The operatives raided stalls and establishments in the uptown area yesterday morning along Osmeņa Boulevard and Mango Avenue. The operatives seized 245 sacks that contains 73,500 pirated DVDs, VCDs as well as software and installers that is worth more than P17.5 million.

Manny Mangubat of the Optical Media Board arrived here in Cebu City Monday morning and conducted surveillance after their head office in Manila received reports that there is a rampant distribution and sale of pirated DVDs and VCDs in Cebu City.

In the raid, no one was arrested because the owners of the pirated items fled before leave their shops shopkeepers behind.

This is not the first time that Manny Mangubat conducted an operation here in Cebu for the crackdown of pirated DVDs and VCDs. In 2005, they were able to conficscate truckloads of pirated DVDs and VCDs.

Mangubat said the owners of the CDs will face six to nine months in jail with a penalty of P25,000 if arrested and convicted.