NOW it can be told that the 21-ton shipment of dressed poultry still being held by authorities in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, belongs to a firm owned by Rep. Peter Unabia of the province’s 1st District.
Veterinarian Benjamin Resma, the chief of the capitol’s agriculture office, yesterday confirmed that the controversial shipment was brought last week from the Mindanao International Container Port to a storage facility of a firm called Anakciano in Tagoloan town. Anakciano Inc. belongs to the congressman.
Despite the Department of Agriculture’s announcement on Tuesday that it has lifted the ban on the shipment of poultry from Luzon to Mindanao and Visayas, the National Meat Inspection Service continued to place the over 21 thousand kilograms of dressed chickens inside a sealed storage facility.
“I think bird flu is no longer the issue,” said Resma, adding that he learned from the NMIS that there was a problem with one of the documents.
Since last week, the NMIS regional office has been holding back bits of important information during interviews, declining to identify the owner of the tons of intercepted dressed poultry or disclosing exactly why it has continued to keep the storage facility sealed off when the shipment was supposedly supported by documents, and samples were reexamined here and tested negative for bird flu virus.
It turned out that authorities suspected an anomaly in the shipment’s meat inspection certificate that was allegedly issued in Pasig instead of Bulacan where the dressed chickens were supposedly shipped from.
Last week, Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano said the shipment was that of a firm called Trium Agri-Business Logistic Frozen Chicken Meat.
But Trium also belongs to Unabia, according Resma.
Resma’s information corroborated NMIS director for northern Mindanao Angie Barcelona’s revelation last week that the shipment belonged to a firm that operates in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, and Bulacan. Barcelona said, “Usa ra man ka company ang tag-iya ana. Dili man nga ang tag-iya anang chicken meat nangopra didto sa Bulacan.”
Emano however said recent information he received from the NMIS indicated that it belonged to one of Unabia’s children.
“I think it is owned by one of his children... I think so,” Emano said.
He added that he also learned recently that the shipment’s documents were still being subjected to verification.
Meanwhile, Barcelona said she would not order the release of the dressed chickens despite the lifting of the shipment ban pending the results of an investigation being spearheaded by NMIS executive director Ernesto Gonzales.
Barcelona said the shipment permit issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry on Aug. 8, and the Aug. 7 NMIS inspection certificate from Region 3 were being looked into.
The BAI permit allowed the shipment from Bulacan to Tagoloan despite the ban while a NMIS office in Luzon certified that the dressed chickens were bird flu virus-free. The documents were supposedly issued days before the ban took effect.
Without elaborating, Barcelona confirmed that the investigation was no longer about the bird flu virus but on issues about the shipment and inspection certificates.
The NMIS, she said, would continue to keep an eye on shipments despite the lifting of the ban.
“Basta na-a lay legitimate inspection certificate ug legitimate shipment permit, walay problima,” she said.
NOW it can be told that the 21-ton shipment of dressed poultry still being held by authorities in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, belongs to a firm owned by Rep. Peter Unabia of the province’s 1st District.
Veterinarian Benjamin Resma, the chief of the capitol’s agriculture office, yesterday confirmed that the controversial shipment was brought last week from the Mindanao International Container Port to a storage facility of a firm called Anakciano in Tagoloan town. Anakciano Inc. belongs to the congressman.
Despite the Department of Agriculture’s announcement on Tuesday that it has lifted the ban on the shipment of poultry from Luzon to Mindanao and Visayas, the National Meat Inspection Service continued to place the over 21 thousand kilograms of dressed chickens inside a sealed storage facility.
“I think bird flu is no longer the issue,” said Resma, adding that he learned from the NMIS that there was a problem with one of the documents.
Since last week, the NMIS regional office has been holding back bits of important information during interviews, declining to identify the owner of the tons of intercepted dressed poultry or disclosing exactly why it has continued to keep the storage facility sealed off when the shipment was supposedly supported by documents, and samples were reexamined here and tested negative for bird flu virus.
It turned out that authorities suspected an anomaly in the shipment’s meat inspection certificate that was allegedly issued in Pasig instead of Bulacan where the dressed chickens were supposedly shipped from.
Last week, Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano said the shipment was that of a firm called Trium Agri-Business Logistic Frozen Chicken Meat.
But Trium also belongs to Unabia, according Resma.
Resma’s information corroborated NMIS director for northern Mindanao Angie Barcelona’s revelation last week that the shipment belonged to a firm that operates in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, and Bulacan. Barcelona said, “Usa ra man ka company ang tag-iya ana. Dili man nga ang tag-iya anang chicken meat nangopra didto sa Bulacan.”
Emano however said recent information he received from the NMIS indicated that it belonged to one of Unabia’s children.
“I think it is owned by one of his children... I think so,” Emano said.
He added that he also learned recently that the shipment’s documents were still being subjected to verification.
Meanwhile, Barcelona said she would not order the release of the dressed chickens despite the lifting of the shipment ban pending the results of an investigation being spearheaded by NMIS executive director Ernesto Gonzales.
Barcelona said the shipment permit issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry on Aug. 8, and the Aug. 7 NMIS inspection certificate from Region 3 were being looked into.
The BAI permit allowed the shipment from Bulacan to Tagoloan despite the ban while a NMIS office in Luzon certified that the dressed chickens were bird flu virus-free. The documents were supposedly issued days before the ban took effect.
Without elaborating, Barcelona confirmed that the investigation was no longer about the bird flu virus but on issues about the shipment and inspection certificates.
The NMIS, she said, would continue to keep an eye on shipments despite the lifting of the ban.
“Basta na-a lay legitimate inspection certificate ug legitimate shipment permit, walay problima,” she said.
