By MAE SINGUAY
BACOLOD City — AVM Bernardo Engineering, city slaughterhouse operator, cannot be held responsible for sick animals allegedly brought in the facility, its lawyer said.
Atty. Marvin Tañada pointed to the meat inspector under the City Veterinary Office as the one that should monitor the animals’ health.
On its own, AVM cannot check on the animals’ health because it has no in-house meat inspector, Tañada said.
Tañada was reacting to the statement of Mayor Monico Puentevella that the slaughterhouse butchers sick animals.
“AVM slaughters even sick animals. This was proven by a Dutch national who visited the slaughterhouse,” said the mayor. He refused to name the foreigner.
The company operates the slaughterhouse — the only facility of its kind in the city accredited by the National Meat Inspection Service — in Handumanan village.
Under the law, Tañada said, only the meat inspector under the City Veterinary Office is authorized to determine the pre- and post-mortem condition of animals taken to the slaughterhouse.
Meats unfit for human consumption entering the markets are the responsibility of not the slaughterhouse operator but the city government’s meat inspector, he argued.
“Why put the blame on my client,” the lawyer asked.
MOA TERMINATION
Meanwhile, Puentevella next week will write the City Council to propose the termination of the city government’s memorandum of agreement with AVM.
Once the agreement is terminated, the mayor said, he will open the bidding for the construction of a new slaughterhouse.
Puentevella is confident that the City Council will grant his proposal, considering that majority of the councilors are his allies.
Gloridee Cometa, AVM’s plant manager, said her personnel informed her that a Dutch national, who identified himself as an engineer, went to the slaughterhouse last week.
According to the foreigner, Puentevella himself sent him to inspect the slaughterhouse, Cometa said, citing her personnel./PN
