Following the recent seizure by authorities of “double-dead” meat about to be delivered to a public market in Pasay City, Mayor Wenceslao “Peewee” Trinidad has issued a directive to the city’s veterinary office to make regular rounds and inspect the meat being sold in markets and meat stalls all over the city.
Trinidad said the local veterinary office should visit the city’s different public markets more often and be stricter in the inspection of the commodities sold there, especially the meat products.
“We are working double-time to ensure that no ‘hot meat’ will make it to our public market. I will not let Pasay City become a dumping ground of meat from other places that is unfit for human consumption,” he said.
Trinidad added that apart from the city veterinary office, supervisors of public markets should also be on alert for the ply-by-night meat trade that can take place anywhere in the city.
Trinidad said that such measures are necessary to protect the welfare of the consumers.
Last Thursday night, a team from the city’s veterinary office seized at least 700 kilos of double-dead meat at the Libertad public market. The meat came from Sta. Maria, Bulacan.
Dr. Ronaldo Bernasor, city veterinarian, said meat dealer Rex Panganiban drove the van containing the double-dead meat, which arrived at the market at around 10 p.m.
Panganiban was arrested last Tuesday after he was caught with 300 kilos of double-dead meat that also came from Sta. Maria, Bulacan. He was later freed by authorities under reportedly questionable circumstances.
The double-dead meat seized Thursday night reportedly bore signs of hog cholera infection.
Panganiban, however, claimed he did not know that what he was about deliver was contraband meat.
Officials said the two batches of contraband meat have been burned in a slaughter house in the city.
Cases of hog cholera have been reported at some backyard piggeries in Bulacan, prompting the Bureau of Animal Industry to closely monitor the movement of animals from affected farms. – Rhodina Villanueva