Mayor Ramon Oñate of Palompon, Leyte whose family owns DBSN Farm Agriventures Corp. said he welcomes the filing of a case in court by Rep. Richard Gomez over alleged environmental violation by the company.
“We welcome the intent of Congressman Gomez to file the case in our esteemed courts, which is the proper venue to hear his complaints and decide upon them. In our highly respected courts, we stand on even ground as the allegations will be properly threshed out and he cannot cowardly hide under the dress of congressional immunity,” Oñate said in a statement.
DBSN, one of the largest agriculture companies in the Visayas, employs more than 600 workers.
Gomez earlier called for the filing of criminal and administrative charges against Oñate and his wife Lourdes for alleged violation of the country’s land and environmental laws. He also initiated a congressional inquiry on the DBSN operations for alleged environmental pollution in Albuera.
Oñate said the ensuing court hearings as envisioned by Gomez would “clear the air once and for all about these malicious and baseless accusations being hurled against me over the family- owned poultry dressing plant.”
“DBSN is reputedly the largest single corporation in the Visayas and Mindanao with over 600 workers under it name and counting. Quite, apparently, Mr. Gomez does not have the welfare or even the very survival of these people and their families who face the likelihood of severe economic dislocation with his purported advocacy disguised in aid of legislation just to throw us out of business,” Oñate said.
DBSN, based in Barangay Antipolo in Albuera, Leyte, is a poultry processing plant and an exclusive toll processor of San Miguel Foods Inc. bearing the Magnolia Chicken brand.
The firm, owned by the family, is said to be the biggest automated poultry processing plant in the Visayas and Mindanao, with an output capacity of about 60,000 dressed chicken daily.
Oñate said DBSN was accredited by the National Meat Inspection Service for “Good Manufacturing Practices” and was granted AAA rating by the National Meat Inspection Service.
He said DBSN also received Food Safety Systems Certification 22000 version 5.1, Quality Management System ISO 9001:2015 from DAKKS Germany and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point from KAN Indonesia.
Oñate said DBSN passed an environmental performance assessment by an independent audit firm led by Engr. Aldwin Camance.
DBSN executives said their main objective is to be recognized as a “world-class and dynamic company that is most admired for its people, products, purpose and performance.”