By Ben Serrano, Correspondent
BUTUAN CITY — A furious governor of Surigao del Sur is hell-bent on charging the maker of the candies that downed at least 1,250 public school students in the light of the unprecedented mass food poisoning in Caraga region.
Surigao del Sur Governor Johnny T. Pimentel told the Gold Star Daily, Monday, that he has ordered Provincial Police Director Senior Supt. Narciso Verda-dero to file appropriate charges against Davao City-based candy maker for none registration at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including other violations committed by the ambulant vendors and other responsible individuals who caused the massive food poisoning in the history of the province.
The Ma-a, Davao City-based candy maker, “Wen-dy’s Durian Candy,” allegedly has no permit from the FDA.
“Having 1,518 individuals mostly youths and school children affected by the food poisoning is no joke for [sic] us. It caused headache to me and to the rest of our officials and stress to our people especially relatives and victims. So, somebody has to answer so that this will never be imitated by others who had desire to do it again maybe for profits or what,” Pimentel said.
“Fortunately no one got killed. This is because of early response and quick rescue our provincial government and other LGUs in the province had installed and institutionalized,” Pimentel added.
Pimentel said he wanted the candy maker, the ambulant vendors and others responsible like the one who funded the vendors to be held responsible in the mass poisoning and criminally liable.
In an earlier interview, Verdadero told Gold Star Daily they are studying liability of the manufacturer or maker of the candy products Wendy’s who earlier said owner of Wendy’s a certain Mrs. Janet Aquino appeared at the Talomo District Police Office to clear herself saying her candy durian products were earlier bought in bulk by some customers.
“The owner is not yet off the hook because of many findings of violations like expiration dates of the products and proper labeling of the products. All of these, we are going to study the extent of violations of said manufacturer, “Verda-dero added. Verdadero said the durian candies were repacked after enterprising individuals bought wholesale the candy products that already poisoned many from Davao City-based candy maker Wendy’s to maximize profitability.
“Our police operatives were able to retrieve packs of Wendy’s candies in different flavors that have not been repacked, repacking paraphernalias and also repacked candies ready to be sold. Ang puhunan sa bawat pack of candy is only P25.00 they bought from Wendy’s and they re-sell it for P100.00 so may tubo sila P75.00 per pack. If they were able to make 1,000 packs sell it at P100.00 per pack magkano tubo nila minus puhunan na P25.00 per pack?” Verda-dero amazingly said.
Verdadero added that based on initial investigation by the police, the ambulant vendors re-sell the durian candies at smaller packs at P10.00 per pack but of the same repacking formula of profitability.
Earlier, two schools division superintendents of Tandag City and the province of Surigao del Sur told Gold Star Daily that they will assist parents and victims in the candy poisoning in the fling of cases if they will file cases against those responsible in the poisoning.
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