By
Lezlie Basa-Inigo
LINGAYEN,
Pangasinan—-The Sangguniang Panlalawigan has declared hog trader Roger Erpelo a
persona non grata or an “unwanted person”.
This stemmed from
an incident last Sept. 26 when Erpelo, of Barangay Baloling in Mapandan,
brought pigs from Bulacan, one of the provinces where hogs were affected with
African Swine Fever (ASF).
Prime author,
SP member Jeremy Agerico Rosario said in his preliminary statement that the
unfortunate incident was the “result of the selfish and irresponsible act of a
person,” and even likened it to a form of economic sabotage.
According to
Rosario, prices of hog meat in Mapandan have plunged to as low as P100 per kilo
from its regular price of P220.
The official
said Erpelo clearly violated Executive Order (EO) 0092-2019, earlier signed by
Gov. Amado Espino III, imposing a ban on the entry of all live swine/pigs to
Pangasinan from all provinces.
It was
learned that the hog trader took the Anao exit to San Manuel town, Tarlac to
Bersamin in Alcala town, went right to Carmen bridge on the way to Villasis,
and to Urdaneta then to Urdaneta Bypass Road, then sitio Guam to Mapandan.
Geraldine
Baniqued, Provincial Legal Officer stated that cases have been filed against
Erpelo on October 4 at the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor for
“falsification of documents, violation of EO 0080-2019 and 0092-201, Tax
Ordinance 1-2012 and other pertinent laws.”
“He (Erpelo)
knows that there is a total ban and it is unfair to put the blame on our people
(personnel manning the check points). I do not think that our people are to be
blamed,” said Baniqued, a lawyer.
She further
stressed that the provincial government did its best to augment the personnel
of the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian by directing other staff from the
Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) and the Provincial
Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) to assist in the animal
quarantine checkpoints.
As per the
complaint affidavit, Erpelo not only violated the executive orders but
committed falsification, as well.
“The local
shipping permit for the pigs transported by Mr. Roger Erpelo which was
purportedly issued by the Provincial Government of Bulacan have also been
tampered. There are superimpositions made on some entries in the said local
shipping permit, particularly on the date and the number of heads of pig.
Falsification of public document is clearly present,” it stated.
Falsification
of the Veterinary Health Certificate was also found evident as it stated that
the “fattener had been examined and found to be apparently healthy and free
from evidence of any communicable disease.”
Meanwhile,
Acting Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Jovito Tabajeros said that all efforts will
be exerted to ensure that no similar case of illegal transport of hogs will
happen in Pangasinan, which local officials want to be ASF-free.
Tabajeros
bared during the recent Provincial Security Summit that ASF in Pangasinan was
under control.
He also said
the contingency plan of the provincial government would include the banning of
pork imports, avoiding swill feeding, blocking of swine entry in the province,
educating the people, and submitting laboratory samples to the responsible
offices.
Tabajeros
reiterated that the ASF virus is not transferable to humans but is a viral
disease that causes 100 percent mortality rate of affected swine.
In compliance with the 1-7-10 protocol, some
hogs from the towns and cities within the seven-kilometer radius covering
Mangaldan, Manaoag, Urdaneta, San Jacinto, Laoac, Pozzorubio, and the rest of
Mapandan-area remain under surveillance. Hogs were also randomly tested and
came out negative of ASF infection
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