Thursday, October 19, 2006 Foundation apologizes for Zamboanguita zoo controversy By Victor L. Camion
THE Animal Foundation, Inc., through its official Greg Quimpo, apologized to the management of Zoo Paradise World in Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental for the nationally-televised report of the zoo's alleged practice of feeding live animals to crocodiles in the facility.
Provincial Board Member Marcelo Adanza, former Zamboanguita mayor, claimed Quimpo sent recently a text message to zoo manager Sister Dominga Responso offering the help of the foundation.
"Sister: good evening! This is Greg Quimpo of Animal Kingdom. We have nothing against you or your group. We are willing to help find alternative food for the crocodiles," read the text message, which Sister Responso forwarded to Adanza.
In another text message, Quimpo said, "I am sorry that it appears that we're fighting on TV. We don't want something like that. We can improve the facility. We'll find a way together. We respect your group."
The former vice mayor said the foundation official's messages were an explanation that the public must not entirely blame the Lamplighter, Inc. group because Animal Kingdom Foundation, Inc. was responsible for feeding a live goat and live cat to one of the zoo's crocodiles and took footages of it.
The zoo management and staff had strongly denied any responsibility for the televised report.
Zoo Paradise World is managed by Lamplighter, Inc., a foundation set up by the late Fr. Eleuterio Tropa's Spaceship 2000 E.T.
Quimpo, in a September 22 ABS-CBN TV Patrol World report, accused the zoo management of feeding live animals to crocodiles.
The report featured a live goat thrashing to escape from the jaws of a large crocodile. The video was reportedly shot at the Zamboanguita Zoo Paradise World.
At the height of the controversy, Responso accused Animal Kingdom Foundation Inc. of setting-up the televised incident.
"Sila ang nagpakain, hindi kami," (They were behind that feeding, not us.) the zoo manager said.
Responso narrated that several weeks before the incident, Quimpo, the zoo's guest, claiming to be Reggie de Asis had twice insisted on buying a live dog to feed to the crocodiles.
But the zoo management denied his request.
She said that because de Asis could not find and buy a live dog, he allegedly bought a live cat and fed it to the crocodiles in her presence.
Last August 27, Responso said de Asis returned to the zoo again as a guest and handed over P500 to buy a dog to feed to the crocodiles.
The zoo manager said they did not allow him to do so. The guest later left the zoo.
She said she was surprised when de Asis came back bringing with him a police team from Zamboanguita to investigate her for alleged violation of the Animal Welfare Act.
Responso said she later received a letter from Greg Salido Quimpo of the Animal Kingdom Foundation Inc. informing the zoo management to bring the matter to the attention of the Animal Welfare Division Bureau of the Bureau of Animal Industry for appropriate action.
She said she later discovered while watching TV Patrol World that de Asis was in fact Greg Quimpo.
Responso said she had no idea what Quimpo's motive was.
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