A VILLAGE chief in Catmon, northern Cebu, has been charged before the Office of the Ombudsman after being accused of blocking a poultry farm’s operations.
Binabag, Bogo City Barangay Captain Rowella Rosal, the owner of the poultry farm, filed the complaint in the third week of June against Catmondaan Barangay Captain Gene Rose Nanale for grave misconduct and abuse of authority.
Nanale, in a separate interview, denied wrongdoing.
Rosal accused Nanale of violating Republic Act (RA) 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. She said her business was stopped despite complying with sanitary rules.
According to Rosal, on June 3, barangay tanods, following Nanale’s orders, stopped a delivery of 80,000 chicks worth P3.6 million in Sitio Tinibgan, Barangay Panalipan, Catmon.
“Giunahan man ko nilag babag na way sakto process ba. Wa gyud mi gipahibaw nila (They blocked me without following the proper process. We weren’t even informed),” Rosal said on Monday, June 23.
She said she would have rescheduled the delivery to prevent the financial loss if she had been notified of the restriction.
Rosal also said her staff was prevented from entering the farm area before a scheduled hearing on Friday, June 27, which led her to file the charges.
Public health
In a separate interview, Nanale said she has not yet received a copy of the complaint. She said her actions were to protect public health in her area.
Nanale said she did not order the closure of the poultry farm but was responding to complaints from residents in Sitio Ilum about fly infestations allegedly from Rosal’s facility.
“Wala ko moingon na ako mismo nag-order na ipa-close ang poultry kay wa koy katungod. Ang akong katungod ang protesta sa mga tao,” Nanale said. (I never said I personally ordered the closure of the poultry farm because I don’t have that authority. What I acted on were the complaints from the people.)
Nanale said the barangay only asked for a temporary stop to deliveries until Rosal could meet with residents and officials to address their concerns. She denied that delivery trucks were turned away, saying witnesses reported that only Rosal and her husband were at the scene.
Nanale said three hearings were held on April 29, May 5 and June 9, but Rosal did not attend any of them.
Health concerns connected to the farm reportedly began in January 2024 with complaints of fly infestations. The issue resurfaced on April 25 through a residents’ petition. An inspection by the Municipal Health Office followed three days later.
During a reinspection on May 25, health officers noted a reduction in flies but found a damaged mortality pit. Rosal said the pit had been cemented and the septic tank emptied as required.
However, Nanale said the Rural Health Unit reported that full compliance had not been met. Rosal’s farm has until Thursday, July 3, to meet all sanitary regulations. Failure to comply could lead to violations of RA 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, and Presidential Decree 856, or the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines. / DPC