DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines – While hundreds of people in this city are reeling from the typhoon Sendong tragedy, some unscrupulous vendors tried to sneak into the public market hundreds of kilos of meat without passing government inspection.
Members of the city’s Task Force SAGARR team 1, assigned to monitor hot meat, stray dogs, fish and vegetables, were however quick to apprehend the vendors and confiscated more than 150 kilos of hot meat inside the City Public Market Building 1 at about 5 a.m. Thursday morning.
Task Force personnel, headed by Charles Tubog from the City Veterinary Office, seized more than 120 kilos of imported meat and local meat, to be used for chorizo and chicharon, from Ferdinand Maquiling, and more kilos of hot meat from Pedro Pinili and Lester Peralta.
Tubog said his team, upon seeing the three meat vendors went inside market carrying the meat, immediately asked the latter for proper documents but they failed to present any, except for Maquiling who later brought his documents to the City Veterinary Office.
CVO chief Lourdes Socorro said the confiscated hot meat was intended for processing inside the wet market, but the government will not allow it without the documents prompting the confiscation.
“Kon dili moagi sa slaughterhouse or dili ma-inspection dili gayud ni mabaligya, kay makadaot man kini kon kan-on,” she said.
City Mayor Manuel Sagarabbaria lauded the team for its monitoring and fast action against the entry of illegal meat to the public market. (FREEMAN)