DOJ chief: Maker, distributor of beauty product tagging Manila as China province may be liable

The manufacturer and distributor of the beauty product whose label tagged Manila as a province of China may be liable for mislabelling, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Friday.

"And if the product itself has not been approved for local use by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), the violation takes on a more serious character," he said in a message to reporters.

He said the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Justice will investigate the matter and give the people involved a chance to air their side.

Guevarra said the investigation will start as soon as a formal complaint is filed.

"The end goal is of course to determine any administrative and/or criminal liability after a proper investigation," he said.

The Manila city government has ordered the shutdown of several establishments at the Divisoria Mall for selling beauty products that allegedly listed their Manila address as a province of China.

The closure followed a call by PBA party-list Representative Jericho Nograles to investigate and blacklist a Chinese hair care product distributed by a Chinese-owned company in Binondo.

The product, Ashley Shine Keratin Treatment Deep Repair, allegedly labeled its address in Binondo, Manila as a "province of the People’s Republic of China."

Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno has requested the National Bureau of Investigation to probe the operations of the business firm, Elegant Fumes Beauty Products Inc., manufacturer of the hair product.

He also wanted Chinese nationals, allegedly operating the business, to be deported. On Thursday, he identified them as Shi Zhong Xing and Shi Li Li.—AOL, GMA News