Agriculture Secretary William Dar said Tuesday those transporting pigs from the areas affected by the African Swine Fever will be dealt with accordingly.
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“The full force of the law will descend upon you,” Dar said.
“There are existing laws to follow and we hope that you will cooperate.”
Dar made his statement even as some pigs in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City had been found positive of the African Swine Fever.
“That’s true. ASF is now in Tatalon,” said Anamarie Cabel, the city’s chief veterinarian.
“We have already culled 82 pigs,” she told the Manila Standard.
The Agriculture department confirmed that Tatalon had been affected by the ASF.
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Cabel Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte had provided P3,000 in financial aid for each culled pig.
Tatalon village had at least nine backyard hog-raisers, she said, adding the city government would now strictly prohibit raising animals in the backyards under the city’s land use plan and zoning regulation.
Dar urged hog raisers to immediately report possible ASF cases.
“I would like to appeal to the traders to please do not transport pigs from ASF-affected areas. Let us not play hide and seek. Please help the government, both national and local,” he said.
He threatened to take legal action against any hog raiser violating the quarantine measures.
He blamed the transportation of infected pigs to the spread of the ASF virus in the country.
“We have now asked local government units to further strengthen their checkpoints,” Dar said.
He confirmed Quezon City’s Barangay Tatalon had also been hit by the ASF.
“You know what the problem is. And this is the same case as in Bulacan. From Bulacan, hogs are transported to Pangasinan. That’s the big problem here,” he said.
Two villages in Quezon City—Bagong Silangan and Payatas—had been previously affected by the ASF infection.
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