Lawyers from the Provincial Legal Office, Atty. Flornelio Ediza and Atty. Isis Capangpangan, formally endorse before the Office of the Ombudsman the administrative charges filed by Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia against officials of the Bureau of Animal Industry on March 29, 2023. | Text and photo courtesy of Capitol PIO
CEBU CITY, Philippines – At least seven officials of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) are now facing administrative charges over their handling of the African Swine Fever (ASF) here in Cebu province.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia filed administrative cases against several executives of the BAI before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.
The respondents in the governor’s eight-page complaint included officials from the central and regional offices of BAI.
They are Director Paul Limson, Deputy Program Coordinator Samuel Joseph Castro, ASF Coordinator Joshua Cruz, Dr. Miriam Lopez Vito, director of Regional the Veterinary Quarantine Station, and Dr. Daniel Ventura Jr., ASF Coordinator of the Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas.
Garcia accused the officials of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Local Government Code of 1991, and Articles 19, 20, and 21 of the New Civil Code for defying her orders to suspend the culling of pigs in ASF-afflicted areas here.
“Despite my orders, BAI personnel continued to implement their culling and zoning map police to the prejudice of the hog raisers not only in the City of Carcar but in the whole province of Cebu,” explained Garcia.
It can be recalled that the Capitol questioned the effectiveness of the anti-ASF measures the BAI implemented in response to the deadly swine disease.
As a result, the Capitol decided to drop most anti-ASF measures the BAI implemented and created its own, which includes doing away with culling, and random testing of pigs.
The provincial government also issued a memorandum, reminding national government agencies, including the DA and its bureaus, to coordinate with local government units “in planning and implementation of their projects or policies.”
However, the BAI, the national government tasked with regulating livestock movement, stood by their policies, adding that these were backed by science.
In her complaint affidavit to the anti-graft office, Garcia further accused the BAI have acted with ‘manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.’
“BAI also insists that there is an ASF outbreak in the province of Cebu and the culling policy is the most effective way to contain the virus. This side-sweeping statement of the BAI has an immediate impact on the livelihood of the Cebuanos,” she said.
The governor also included in her complaint the allegations she earlier raised, accusing the BAI of using ASF and culling as justifications to import more pork.
“With the whimsical acts of respondents, it could be well deduced that their culling policy is just an excuse for them to continue their importation of hogs and meat products from other countries, to which the respondents have control over the issuance of importation permits,” Garcia said.
The BAI and its Central Visayas office have yet to respond to this development.
/bmjo
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