Hog raisers plan mass action versus rampant smuggling

Albert R.T. Lim Jr., president of the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc.(NFHFI), announced recently that their 29 member organizations are mapping out plans for a mass action against the delay in the release of the report of the fact-finding committee headed by NFA Administrator Arthur C. Yap.

It will be recalled that Benjamin Angeles, the anti-smuggling consultant of the Department of Agriculture came out with an exposé last March implicating the Undersecretary for Livestock, Cesar M. Drilon and Atty. Benjamin Tabios in the technical smuggling of meat products with the non-issuance of veterinary quarantine clearance (VQC) for imported meat.

Last April 29, NFHFI wrote a letter to Agriculture Secretary Luis P. Lorenzo requesting him to expedite the release of the investigation results at the soonest time. Said its National Chairman Nemesio G. Co: "If the release of the investigation will be delayed any further, there will be suspicion of whitewash or that the findings could have been influenced to favor some parties involved."

Lorenzo created a fact-finding committee and appointed NFA Administrator Arthur C. Yap to look into the complaints lodged against some DA officials. The secretary even gave a deadline to the committee to produce their report before the Holy Week but up to now – it’s June already – and no result of the investigation has been made public.

Lim said that their organization is very concerned with the outcome of the investigation since it involves irregularities in violation of AO-39 which calls for the issuance of veterinary quarantine clearance by the Bureau of Animal Industry for all incoming shipments of meat products. He added that livestock raisers are losing money due to these technical smugglings.