THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it would file charges and dismiss erring officials found to be conniving with unscrupulous traders in importing banned meat products which could introduce fatal animal diseases in the country.
During a forum with the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (Pcafi), Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said they launched an investigation after over 20 metric tons (MT) of smuggled Chinese meat were seized by authorities last week in Manila.
Dar said some DA officials are involved in the smuggling of banned meat products, which were even transported to some areas in Pampanga.
“May ibang kawani sa kagawaran ng pagsasaka na kasama dito sa problema na ito. [There are officials of the Department of Agriculture who are involved in this malpractice]. And they were transporting some of this to Pampanga,” he said during the forum in Quezon City on Saturday.
“We have already confiscated these products and we will file charges against these officials and dismiss them,” he added.
Dar said the DA is closely working with the Manila City government in its drive against smuggled meat products, particularly those from China, that could be infected with dreadful animal diseases which could threaten the country’s livestock sector.
China is currently struggling to contain the spread of African swine fever (ASF) in its territory after the fatal pig disease killed over 1 million hogs to date.
In late August, Manila City Hall seized more than 20 MT of Chinese hot meat in Tondo valued to be more than P20 million.
Manila City Mayor Francisco Domagoso has already ordered the City Legal Office and Bureau of Permits and License Office to file charges against the entities involved in the storage and sale of the hot meat.
The Philippines has suspended importation of pork and pork products from China, Hong Kong, North Korea, Lao PDR, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Zambia, South Africa, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Mongolia, Moldova, Belgium due to ASF.
The ASF, which has no available vaccine today, can seriously damage if not wipe out the country’s P260-billion hog industry if it enters Philippine borders.