Thank 'dog-ness'
Last Tuesday, Senator Jamby Madrigal called a presscon at the Senate so that the animal welfare groups could be heard on their opposition to House Bill 5291, “An act granting the Fox New Millennium Amusement Club Inc. (FNMACI) a franchise to construct, operate and maintain a Greyhound racetrack in any place within the city of Mandaue, province of Cebu.”
Present at the hearing were the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Compassion and Responsibility towards Animals (CARA Phils.), Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF), Feathered Friends Foundation, and Earth Island Institute Phils.
“The presscon was very successful,” said Anna Cabrera, PAWS director, who passed by The STAR office last Tuesday. “We were around 50 volunteers of different animal welfare groups present.”
Anna added that the Senate hallway was lined with animal welfare activists in black T-shirts with the words “Stop Greyhound Racing.” Also present was Madrigal’s Greyhound Prassad, wearing a “Please don’t kill me, I am too young to die” signboard. As reported earlier, Greyhounds are considered no longer fit for racing by the time they reach three.
We are hopeful that the senators will say an absolute no to any form of cruelty. After the presscon, 11 senators contacted PAWS to say that they are voting “no.”
The enlightened 11 are:
1. Senator Chiz Escudero
2. Senator Gringo Honasan
3. Senator Pia Cayetano
4. Senator Miguel Zubiri
5. Senator Jamby Madrigal
6. Senator Manny Villar
7. Senator Rodolfo Biazon
8. Senator Mar Roxas
9. Senator Nene Pimentel
10. Senator Noynoy Aquino
11. Senator Allan Peter Cayetano
In newspaper reports, Senator Bong Revilla was quoted as saying, “We would have considered any opposition to the bill. Why didn’t they (animal welfare groups) speak up during the public hearings?”
The animal welfare groups, through PAWS, have informed us that they were never invited to any of the public hearings held by the committee on public services of which Revilla is chairman.
“We were asked for position papers on the bill,” said Cabrera. “We submitted them, and strongly stated that we were against Greyhound racing. But we were never invited to any of the hearings.”
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We at Petlife continue to pray that when the bill is finally brought to a vote in the Senate there will be 24 senators who will be brave enough to quell HB5291 — and in effect say no to animal cruelty, and all other forms of cruelty.
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There is another reason for pet lovers all over to celebrate. Cardinal Ricardo Vidal of Cebu says that he is against Greyhound racing, as it is a form of gambling. The good cardinal is also a dog lover — he is definitely against any form of cruelty to dogs, too.
“The bill is as dead as a dodo,” Senator Miguel Zubiri was overheard saying as he waved at the animal welfare groups. “I am one with you against Greyhound racing.”
