THE issue of the Asturias, Cebu dog pound that went viral on social media after the posting of video showing hungry dogs eating dead dogs has morphed into a political mudslinging.
This after the investigation committee of the agriculture office of the Municipality of Asturias in northwestern Cebu found out that the dog pound issue was allegedly masterminded by an independent candidate who will be running as vice mayor in the May 2022 elections.
Mayor Jose Antonio Pintor told SunStar Cebu that the ongoing investigation uncovered this: instead of reporting directly to the municipality for proper action, Attorney Elpidio “Elpi” Noel, the vice-mayoral candidate, let someone take a video that was later posted on Facebook on Nov. 1, and it went viral.
The issue went viral on the internet after a concerned citizen posted a video of dogs eating dead dogs inside the facility, this drew the ire of many netizens who believed that the dogs are not properly taken care of.
Pintor described the move as politically motivated since Noel has been filing multiple lawsuits against his administration.
According to Pintor, the operation of the town’s dog pound is currently suspended while the investigation is ongoing.
The dogs that survived the poor condition were released to individuals who were willing to adopt them.
Vocal critic
In a separate interview, Noel disputed the allegation of the mayor, saying he had nothing to do with the posting of the video on social media. The concerned citizens did the posting without any instructions coming from him, he added.
Noel, however, admitted that the individuals who were concerned about the dogs contacted him, only to seek assistance on what are the possible answers that they can provide to the questions coming from the media. He advised them to tell the truth.
Noel said the mayor is the one politicizing the issue since he will be running against the mayor’s running mate in the upcoming election.
“It is disconcerting to know that their failure of management is blamed on other people,” Noel said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
On his Facebook account, Noel is vocal about the different issues in the town especially the abandoned old market in Barangay Poblacion that is being used as a slaughterhouse wherein there is no proper animal waste disposal.
“We are sensitive to filthy conditions, especially that it is involving the meat that we consume every day,” Noel wrote in Cebuano on his Facebook page Sunday, Nov. 21.
Whatever the result of the investigation is, Noel said that he is ready to face any charges that might be filed against him by the administration of Mayor Pintor.