Firm denies selling meat

CEBU, Philippines - The private company involved in garbage collection and disposal belied allegations that they sell condemned meat to the public.

Joel Jopia, plant manager of EVO-Enviro Solutions, Inc., said based on information from Inayawan barangay officials, unidentified persons stole meat from their premises and sold it to scavengers and eateries near White Road. The company was not involved in the activity.

“First, we are not in the business of selling meat,” Jopia said in a statement sent to The FREEMAN. He said the company is a legitimate waste management company that has been in operation for 15 years.

Reports that the company sold the meat appeared in the investigation report of Manuel Cañeda, sanitation inspector of Cebu City Health Department.

“Our company is duly authorized by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) to accept spoiled meat products for proper disposal. Prior to giving us the authority, they inspected our method of processing and disposal,” Jopia said.

In the investigation report of Cañeda, the complaint stemmed from an incident brought to the attention of Inayawan Barangay Captain Lutherlee Ignacio-Soon about the selling of condemned meat for composting which was allegedly done from a van owned by the company.

On October 24, 2014, the van parked along White Road, Inayawan, was allegedly caught selling the condemned meat to the public and eateries nearby, the investigation report revealed.

“Upon investigation by the Office of the Brgy. Captain immediately after the incident, it was found out that indeed there was selling of the condemned meat coming from the said van, by scavengers, who pilfered it and in connivance with the Security Guard, as alleged by the management,” the CHD investigation report read.

Jopia, however, said they never made this report as they did not have first-hand information about the incident and only learned about it from Soon and her barangay officials.

“According to the (barangay) officials, some unscrupulous people entered our premises, pilfered the meats in our facility and sold them. The officials said they have a list of the names of the perpetrators,” Jopia said.

“We wrote a formal letter dated November 10, 2014 to Hon. Lutherlee L. Soon, to ask for the names of the said perpetrators so we can file a case against them. Until now, we have never been given the names,” he added.

Soon was not available for comment yesterday.

“For our part, we launched an investigation against our security personnel. It is ongoing. Rather than blaming our company, it is our belief that barangay officials should be reviewing their own policies and performance with regard to law enforcement,” Jopia said.

He said that the company is the victim in the incident.

“Why was there is no action from the barangay officials to detain and question the said perpetrators, considering that they have the names and that the safety of their constituents and business establishments in their area is their responsibility?” Jopia said.

He said that the barangay officials should make sure that that law and order prevails in the barangay.

“It is the job of barangay officials, and not ours, to make sure that no individuals or persons shall unlawfully intrude and trespass into another’s property without the latter’s consent or authority. It is the job of barangay officials to make sure that no person in the barangay shall trade and sell rotten meat to the public as part of their regulatory and monitoring responsibilities,” he said. — /BRP (FREEMAN)