By MAE SINGUAY
BACOLOD City — Finally, the city government has released the business permit of the city slaughterhouse operator here.
A photocopy of the permit reached the office of Marvin Tañada, counsel of AVM Bernardo Engineering, at about 3:15 p.m. yesterday
The original copy of the permit, issued Aug. 11 yet, was deposited to the Regional Trial Court Branch 54 here in relation to the petition for mandamus that the company filed against the city government.
In its petition, AVM asked the court to compel the city government to release its business permit, and demanded P200,000 for moral damages and P50,000 for exemplary damages.
AVM had lamented that the city “remained adamant” in releasing its permit despite its compliance with all the requirements.
On Aug. 22, Judge Eduardo Sayson ordered the city government, through Mayor Monico Puentevella, to respond to the petition.
WITHDRAW PETITION?
City Legal Office chief Rayfrando Diaz claimed that with the business permit released, the petition for mandamus is rendered moot and academic.
In the city government’s comment to the petition he filed yesterday, Diaz asked the court to deny or dismiss the petition for mandamus, assuring that they had been trying to settle their “minor disputes” with AVM.
Diaz said he told Tañada about this before and during the hearing of the consignation case that AVM earlier filed against the city before the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (Civil Case No. 33177) on Aug. 6.
Tañada, on the other hand, said they may file today a motion for a joint dismissal of the petition.
AVM also demanded from the city P60,000 as attorney’s fee, plus P3,000 for every court appearance of its lawyer, P20,000 for litigation expenses.
ACCREDITATION
AVM, which operates the slaughterhouse in Barangay Handumanan, needs the business permit for its accreditation with the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), Tañada said.
It was trying to secure an AA Standard accreditation and a Certificate of Good Manufacturing Practices, confirmed Rogelio Noble, meat control officer II at the NMIS Regional Technical Operation Center.
Its accreditation will expire next month, Noble said. A business permit is one of the requirements for renewal, he added.
Acquiring an AA Standard from NMIS means a slaughterhouse’s meat products can be brought to other places outside of Bacolod or in other countries, said Noble./PN
