Austrian charged for killing chicken

BY GINA DIZON

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- For killing a chicken and shooting a dog, Austrian tourist Ernest Reiseneder was charged here before the fiscal’s office for violating the animal welfare act.

Bernard Wassit of Sitio Bitin, Barangay Ambasing, filed the charges against Reiseneder. The tourist had been the object of a lot of complaints from residents but to date, he is still staying put in a rented house in Bitin.

The owner of the house was reportedly asked to make Reisener move out since he was a troublemaker in the community but to date, hasn’t ejected the tourist.

In a letter-complaint forwarded to Director Antonio Pierto of the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation, nearly a hundred villagers here enumerated offenses which they claimed Reiseneder committed against residents of Ambasing and Bitin.

The letter-complaint endorsed by Mayor Eduardo Latawan, residents said they wanted Reiseneder investigated and deported by the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation.

Residents claimed that beginning November last year, Reiseneder tapped water from the community water tank located at the compound where he is renting his house, which he used for gardening purposes.

This resulted to loss of water for the people of Ambasing and Bitin who relied on the water coming from said water tank for their domestic use.

Residents said this deprivation of water by Reiseneder was done early months of this year from January to April.

Residents in many instances told Reiseneder not to use the water for gardening as the people are deprived of the much needed water.

Reiseneder however continued to use the water for his gardening, residents claimed.

Sometime in May this year, along with a local help, Reiseneder reportedly burned Ambowagiw watershed thus bringing environmental destruction to the immediate community.
Villagers here said the tourist reportedly uses foul language like “fuck you” or “I’ll shoot you” to the people here.

Due to reported abusive and inconsiderate acts towards the people of Bitin and Ambasing, residents here declared Reiseneder persona non grata in one of their barangay meetings.

The house owner also reported to the police here that Reiseneder repaired some parts of her house without her permission.

Meantime, Reiseneder reported to the police that he was allegedly threatened by a fire police officer; and not being allegedly attended to by police elements here.

Residents said Reisener should get out from the town since he is unwanted for being a troublemaker.