BAGUIO CITY – Some 1,500 kilos of double dead or hot meat were confiscated by combined elements of the City Veterinary Office and National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) in the Cordillera and law enforcers during a surprise inspection at the Rillera Building Tuesday.
The seized double dead or hot meat were packed in several dozens of crates that were supposed to be frozen but were found to be in ordinary room temperature in the area.
The surprise inspection was a follow-up to an operation conducted by the City Public Order and Safety Division last December where over 4,800 kilos of double dead and hot meat were confiscated by the law enforcers.
The seized double dead meat were immediately brought and buried to a vacant lot within the NMIS-CAR compound in Barangay Dontogan, Baguio City.
Ironically, no market vendor or owner of the hot meat was arrested by the operating troops during the said operation.
Persons who were found in possession of the hot meat were supposed to be charged with violation of the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 7394 or the Consumer Welfare Act of the Philippines, RA 9296 or the Meat Processing Law of the Philippines and other lawful issuances by the agriculture department in relation to the hygienic handling of meat products.
Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan commended the successful operation against the sale and disposal of double dead or hot meat, saying that concerned government agencies and city departments must continue their unrelenting and uncompromising operations in order to ensure the safe meat products are sold in the public market.
He warned that the city government and concerned government agencies will not hesitate to file charges against the unscrupulous vendors who will be caught selling the double dead meat in order to teach them a lesson not to repeat the offense that would result to the imposition of fines and might cause their imprisonment.
By Dexter A. See