As charges filed vs owner, workers: Piggery fined P14 million

CEBU, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation has filed charges against the owner and workers of a decades-old pig farm in San Fernando, Cebu for violating the Philippine Clean Water Act and Philippine Fisheries Code.

The Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) also fined Multi-farms Agro Industrial Corporation an accumulated P14.5 million.

Last Tuesday, the NBI’s Environmental Division served search warrants at the piggery located in Sitio Baho, Barangay Sangat following complaints of bad odor emanating from the farm.

Representatives of the Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the Department of Public Works and Highways were also present when the search warrants were served.

Engr. William Cuñado, regional director of DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau, said there seemed to be no problem at first because the piggery has its own wastewater treatment facility.

The problem, however, lies on the efficiency of the equipment, which is supposed to clean the dirty or polluted water before it is discharged to the sea.

Water quality monitoring indicated that the effluent water failed to meet the standards set by DENR.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) - 7 observed that marine life near the piggery is deemed “dead.”

BFAR-7 information officer Alma Saavedra also said the mangrove plantation along the coast near the area also did not survive.

“Maklaro ug makita gyud nimo nga wala na’y nabuhi nang mangrove tungod kay ang mga mangrove patay na. Naupaw na gyud. Sauna, sa kilid-kilid, naa man to’y mangrove. Ang corals na-damage na pud ug wala na sa’y isda dihang dapita (It’s clear that the mangroves did not survive because they have disappeared. The corals were also damaged and the fish has disappeared from the area),” she said.

Cuñado said the order from PAB was served to the farm owner last February 13 but the owner appealed to the board several times.

“They had been filing a motion many times. Whenever the board imposed a penalty, they file a motion but then despite that the board insisted to impose the penalty,” he said.

During the inquest proceeding, owner Santiago Tan Chan III and his employees Rosalio Aguanta, Jayson Fritz Aguanta, and Jeramil Sabala chose not to file counter-affidavits and manifested that they will, instead, face the charges in court.

Prosecutors recommended bail at P24,000 each for the Philippine Clean Water Act violation and P48,000 each for the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 violation.

Lt. JG Michael John Encina, operations officer of PCG-7, said Multi-farms Agro Industrial Corporation did not secure a clearance and environmental certificate when the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 was enacted. —  JMO (FREEMAN)