Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia during a press conference on October 25, 2022 at the Cebu Capitol in Cebu City. | CDN Digital File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – More charges will be lodged against officials of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) over the African Swine Fever (ASF) situation here.
Cebu Capitol officials on Monday, April 3, announced that they will file criminal complaints against the BAI for reportedly failing to coordinate with them when the agency declared more areas here hit by the ASF.
Capitol lawyers said they are considering suing BAI officials for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices over their recent pronouncements that the ASF has spread to 10 other areas in Cebu.
According to lawyer Donato Villa, the Provincial Legal Officer, the bureau’s statement had allegedly caused undue injury to stakeholders of Cebu’s hog industry.
“We are also filing a case, an additional case in relation to a constitutional provision because definitely, due process is not being given to our hog raisers,” Villa added.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who led Monday’s briefer, once again slammed BAI for declaring 10 more ASF-hit localities here without notifying the province beforehand.
Garcia also questioned the timing of the animal industry bureau’s announcement, leading her to accuse them of creating “well-timed and calculated” moves in an attempt to justify their decisions.
“Too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence. This is practically thumbing their noses up for the actions we have taken, filing a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman. They are in a blatant display of arrogance,” she said.
Last week, the Capitol filed administrative cases against at least seven BAI officials over their decision to continue the implementation of anti-ASF measures, which the province had deviated away from after questioning its effectiveness.
The governor also criticized the statements of support from two veterinary and swine practitioners group – the Philippine Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA) and the Philippine College of Swine Practitioners – for the accused veterinarians and BAI officials.
“Well, they are entitled to their own entertainment… (But) do not meddle with our position, which our own Provincial Veterinarian has adapted, belonging as she does to the Cebu Provincial Government, let us be very clear at that,” said Garcia.
“Whether you’re an international or national association, you cannot infringe upon a local government unit’s territorial powers as very expressly contained in the local government,” she added.
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