Sunday, August 15, 2004 Dog 'food' rescued By Jane Cadalig
BAGUIO CITY -- Joint elements of the Naguilian Municipal Police Station and the Animal Kingdom Foundation apprehended a vehicle loaded with dogs supposed to be delivered to Baguio City's slaughterhouses for the consumption of the local residents, Saturday.
Of the 60 captive dogs on board the intercepted vehicle, three reportedly died while in transit while another four died of suffocation and starvation before their arrival.
Those arrested were identified as Lazaro Gonzales, 47, married, a resident of Calaboso, Biņan; Ramil Marquez, 34, married, from San Roque; and Jose Laogo Jr, 20, single, also from San Roque, all in Laguna.
Police authorities, headed by Chief Insp. Robert de Mesa, intercepted the Mitsubishi Van bearing plate number PXL-820 at around 5:30 a.m. along Quirino Highway (formerly Naguilian Road).
A source from the Animal Kingdom also revealed that the three suspects have been found to be delivering such animals to Baguio before.
"The suspects claimed they intended to deliver the animals to a slaughter house located at St. Patrick Subdivision in Irisan. The shipment is owned by a certain Sabrina Ortega," said Brando Gegway, Animal Kingdom investigative officer for the Cordillera and Cagayan regions.
"We came to know about the shipment from a source who tipped off that such will be delivered to the city. Likewise, we are conducting regular surveillance operations and that's how we came to know about the days of delivery," explained Gegway.
"We are also able to monitor the delivery days because they (suspects) have been previously discovered to be delivering live dogs for slaughter to the city," he added.
He explained that the 60 dogs they have rescued are consumable in four days at the slaughterhouses.
The three suspects are presently detained at the Naguilian Municipal Police Station for violation of Republic Act 8485 otherwise known as the Animal Welfare Act.
Gegway also related that earlier this week, Naguilian policemen, in coordination with the foundation, have conducted the same operation and were able to apprehend a vehicle, which contained about 80 dogs also bound for Baguio.
The same illegal load was to be delivered to the same recipient.
Gegway said the animals came from Padre Garcia, Batangas.
He also said the animals are being regularly delivered to the seven existing slaughterhouses in Baguio and Benguet.
He said a minimum of 100 dogs are being killed daily, adding, "a majority of the dogs that are supplied to Baguio, Benguet and Mountain Province come from Laguna and Batangas."
The rescued animals, according to Gegway, will be delivered back to Manila for the foundation's 'Adopt-a-dog Project.'
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