San Juan mayor goes after stolen phones sold at Greenhills but spares 2nd-hand gadgets

On the heels of Mayor Isko Moreno's move against the sale of stolen phones in Manila, San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora has followed suit and inspected a popular shopping center in his city to check if illegally acquired gadgets are being sold.

A report by JP Soriano on 24 Oras on Wednesday said Zamora went around Greenhills Shopping Center to warn vendors not to buy and sell stolen gadgets.

He, however, clarified that he was only going after stolen gadgets being resold and not necessarily all secondhand ones.

“Ako, kung malaman ko na merong binebentang nakaw dito, yari ang Greenhills Shopping Center sa akin,” he said. “Dapat sila mismo ang mag-police sa kanilang mga merchants.”

“Hindi ko ipagbabawal ang pagbenta ng second hand items dahil wala namang masamang mag benta ng secondhand, ‘di ba? Ang masama, magbenta ng secondhand na ninakaw,” he added, drawing cheers from vendors in the area.

Greenhills Shopping Center along Ortigas Avenue is the go-to place for many Filipinos seeking to buy gadgets at affordable prices.

The president of the Greenhills Muslim Traders Association, Mon Inog, assured the mayor that they do not sell stolen items.

“Yes sir, 101% hindi kami bibili ng nakaw na paninda,” he said.

The management of Greenhills Shopping Center, likewise, said all their vendors are duly registered and abide by their rules.

Greenhills Exhibits Department head James Candelaria said they will “automatically terminate the contract” of any violator and “turn over the matter to the police.”

Valid ID, receipt

Vendors at Greenhills told GMA News that they require anyone who sells secondhand gadgets to them to present a receipt, two valid IDs, and a filled-out form.

“Pagka hindi niya po alam ‘yung mga password, ‘yung mga ganun, ‘yun po ‘yung tinatanggihan namin,” said vendor Regine Zuniga.

Consumer and Law Trade expert lawyer Nikki de Vega said there is no law that prohibits the sale of secondhand items.

“Ang pinakamalapit dito, ‘yung Presidential Decree 1612 o Anti-Fencing Law na kung saan paparusahan ka kung ikaw ay nagpo-possess, nagbebenta, nagtatago ng mga bagay na alam mong galing sa nakaw,” she said.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Monday announced the ban on the sale of used mobile phones in the city.

Moreno eventually ordered the closure of Isetann Mall on Recto Avenue for not following the ban on the sale of used cellphones and operating without the business permits required by the city. — Julia Mari Ornedo/MDM, GMA News