CEBU City Mayor Edgardo Labella stood pat on his decision lifting the ban on pork products from places not affected by African swine fever (ASF).
Labella issued Executive Order (EO) 72 on April 28, 2020, and he said it is still in effect despite the City Council's resolution asking him to reconsider his order.
The local executive said the issuance of EO 72 was based on the December 2019 administrative order of the Department of Agriculture (DA), which was approved by President Rodrigo Duterte last February. The order allows the entry of pigs from places with no ASF cases.
Labella, who was endorsed by the President in the May 2019 elections, said he was only following the order from MalacaƱang.
He said the President's order was "very clear" in instructing the local government units to "fully comply with the directive" and the local executives "cannot go beyond" it.
Last Monday, May 4, Councilor Raymond Garcia passed a resolution requesting Labella to not lift the ban on hogs and other pork products outside Cebu. He said there is a danger that ASF would affect the local hog industry.
Labella said his EO 72 states that only the pigs from places cleared by the DA can enter Cebu City.
The Cebu Provincial Government last Monday extended the ban on the entry of live hogs, pork products and byproducts from Mindanao for an indefinite period or until Cebu is able to "conquer the coronavirus disease 2019 crisis." The initial 90-day ban that Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia had imposed last Feb. 13 was supposed to end on May 11. (PAC)