At least 700 kilos of dog meat seized in Batangas

More than 700 kilos of dog meat were seized by authorities in Padre Garcia, Batangas on Thursday night.

Arrested were suspects Emerson Balingaloan and Glen Bajacang who were trailed by authorities as they picked up dog meat in Barangay Quilo Quilo North, according to a report on Unang Balita on Friday by Katrina Son.

The police acted on a tip from the Animal Kingdom Foundation which observed the dog meat trade in Padre Garcia.

Although the dog meat trade has been going on for sometime, this particular group involving the suspects has made efforts to evade authorities. It has no permanent slaughterhouse; the slaughtering is done from one place to another.

Balingaloan said this is just the first time they picked up dog meat after someone promised to give them a daily wage.

He added the dog meat will be brought to a restaurant in Baguio City.

The suspects were met in the barangay by a man on a motorcycle who then told them where to pick up the dog meat.

They added that they paid P20,000 to get the dog meat. However, since dog meat is allegedly sold at P150 per kilo in Baguio City, the 770 kilos confiscated can bring in more than P100,000.

Dr. Rolando Marquez of the National Meat Inspection Service said that since dogs and cats are considered companion animals, their meat when intended for human consumption is considered "hot meat."

"Hot meat is punishable in our existing law," Marquez said.

The NMIS will bury the confiscated hot meat.

Meanwhile, the suspects are now detained at the Provincial Police Office of Batangas.

Police Superintendent Renfredo Dacalos, deputy provincial chief of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group - Batangas, said the suspects will be submitted for inquest then appropriate charges will be filed against them.

Dacalos said they will intensify their campaign for animal welfare. —KG, GMA News