Cotabato vet office warns sell of illegally butchered meat

COTABATO CITY (Aug.
28/NDBC) – The Cotabato City Veterinary Office has warned meat vendors against
unscrupulous practices to avoid endangering the health of the public. The warning
was issued by Dr. Robert Malcontento, city veterinarian, after police and
veterinary inspectors seized about 200 kilos of double-dead meat at a
detachment along Matampay bridge last Sunday nightMalcontento
said police have received a tip about the impending entry of illegally
butchered carabao from Maguindanao and a checkpoint was quickly set up.

But the three
persons who attempted to bring the carabao meat in three sacks quickly fled
when police and meat inspectors flagged them down at past 9 p.m.”Meat
transported through public transport may be contaminated with bacteria with the
businessmen not knowing it, so it is very dangerous to the consuming public,”
Malcontento said.

Aside from
confiscation of the meat supply, the owners are facing stiffer penalties,
Macontento said, adding that the persons carrying the supplies failed to
present legal documents showing the meat underwent meat inspection by duly
authorized veterinarian.

”The owner
failed to show meat inspection certificate,” Malcontento said.

On Wednesday,
on orders of Cotabato City administrator Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, the city
veterinary office torched the seized Carabao carcass at the grounds of the
Cotabato City hall.

Malcontento
said businessmen engaged in meat production, transport and selling should avoid
putting the health of general public in danger.

He said a
penalty of not less than P200,000 and not more than P1 million await those who
are proven to have violated the Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines.

Aside
from putting public health in danger, the practice of illegally transporting
meat products deprived the government of the necessary taxes, Malcontento said.
(NDBC)