Cops intercept shipments of 112 hogs in ASF-hit Batangas
LUCENA CITY—At least 112 undocumented hogs, one of them already dead, were intercepted by the authorities on Friday while the hogs were being brought out from areas in Batangas known to have been affected by the African swine fever (ASF).
Different teams of police officers stumbled upon the swine shipments amid a prevailing state of calamity declared in the province on Aug. 12 due to ASF outbreak.
The police reports did not specify if the seized swine were ASF-infected.
ASF, a severe viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs, was reported in various areas in Batangas by the Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) or Region 4A, prompting a declaration of an outbreak and subsequent state of calamity.
Required permits
While ASF poses a significant threat to swine populations, the DOH-CHD 4A assured that “processed pork products are still safe for consumption as long as pork and pork products are bought from authorized and reliable sources.”The Department of Agriculture urged hog traders and shippers to comply with existing rules and regulations to prevent the infectious disease from further spreading.
Among the required government documents for the transport of swine are a veterinary health certificate, animal inspection certificate, travel permit and certificate of disease-free status.
The Calabarzon police, in a report on Saturday, said cops manning an animal inspection checkpoint in Sto. Tomas City intercepted a truck carrying 39 live swine and one dead pig at around 6 a.m. The unidentified truck driver failed to produce the government permits for the transport of the animals.
The report said that the hogs came from San Juan town and were about to be delivered to an unspecified place in Bulacan.In Bauan town, policemen who were conducting a routine inspection of passing vehicles also intercepted at 12:50 p.m. a Mitsubishi Canter driven by Rafael Bucad loaded with 38 live pigs that were being transported without the needed documents. The swine came from the locality and were to be transported in Sta. Teresita town, also in Batangas.
In Ibaan town, police held at 10 a.m. an L300 van driven by Gilberto Flores that was also loaded with 17 undocumented live pigs that originated from San Juan town and was bound to an undisclosed place in Cavite. INQ
Policemen also intercepted eight undocumented live pigs aboard a Mitsubishi L300 van driven by Carlos Gompad, also in Ibaan, at around 5:20 p.m. The swine were reportedly bought in Padre Garcia town and were in transit to Nagcarlan, Laguna when it was flagged down.
In San Juan town, authorities intercepted two tricycles loaded with nine live pigs at 12:30 p.m. that also had no transport documents. INQ
