The alleged slaughter house at Riverside barangay Centro in Mandaue City. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
The pigsties were dirty, their roof sfull of holes and cockroaches crawled freely on walls.
Nearby was a pit where locals cook. Innards of slaughtered animals lie, scattered along the walkway.
At one side, is a turbid creek that emits foul odor.
It was like any afternoon for two men who were roasting a pig.
Upon seeing members of the Mandaue City Task Force Meat Inspection, they tried to ran away with the half cooked lechon still skewered in a bamboo pole. They were stopped were told that the lechon will be seized.
A certain Erlinda Frias intervened, telling the police that the lechon was for family consumption – for a relative’s birthday.
But Dr. Daisy Penetrante, city veterinarian of Mandaue City wanted proof. Upon further investigation, none of Frias’ relatives is celebrating a birthday, the lechon had to go.
It turned out that a certain Marites Sala ordered the lechon for P5,000.
Penetrante gave Frias a final warning.
The lechon was brought to the Department of Social Welfare and Services of Mandaue City for proper disposition.
Dr. Penetrante said, Frias violated Section 49 of City Ordinance 668 for failure to have a meat inspection certificate and the slaughtered pig was not submitted to post mortem examination as required by law.
Violators can be meted a penalty ranging from P100,000 to P1 million fine and imprisonment of six to 12 years .
Since January this year, they have conducted around 20 operations mostly within barangays Centro and Mantuyong, in the area of the former slaughterhouse located near the old public market.
Dr. Penetrante said “swines slaughtered there might cause risk to people,” she said.
The veterinary official also asked the public not to patronize lechon from the area because the quality of slaughtered meat is not monitored to be at par with sanitary standards.
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