January 4, 2011

Philippines to dismiss petition of provincial meat vendors, dealers

The Philippine government asked the court to dismiss the petition for ban filed by 17 meat vendors and importers in Cebu against the Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas (DA-7) and three Metro Cebu cities.

Lawyer Kristan Carlos Cristobal of the Office of the Solicitor General said the petitioners won't suffer damage with the enforcement of a recent DA order that authorises local government units (LGUs) to regulate frozen imported meat.

"We admit there is damage because the influx of frozen meat is being regulated. Such damage, however, is without injury (to the petitioners)," Cristobal said.

But Ricardo Amores, counsel for the vendors and importers, said his clients will lose millions of pesos "in two weeks" if their products are seized by local officials.

RTC Judge Simeon Dumdum asked the parties to submit their affidavits in three days.

Named respondents in the amended petition were Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, and Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez and DA-7 Regional Director Ricardo Oblena.

The petitioners said consumers will be affected by the DA order.

They opposed a provision of the order mandates LGUs to "monitor the transport, storage, and display" of refrigerated meat products, saying it will "open the floodgates of abuse."

Amores said the DA through the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) should inspect the frozen meat instead of the LGUs