Palace reiterates order to DA to contain ASF

September 30, 2019

Malacanang reiterated on Monday its order to the Department of Agriculture to make sure African swine fever would not affect other hogs in the country.

This was after Pangasinan province said there were pigs that were culled after they were tested positive for ASF.

"The orders will be to contain it (ASF), stop it," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a press briefing when asked if President Rodrigo Duterte has additional orders to Agriculture Secretary William Dar regarding ASF.

The local government of Pangasinan has blamed the local swine traders who brought hogs from Bustos, Bulacan to Pangasinan for the spread of the disease.

The DA earlier said that Bulacan, as well as Rizal, had confirmed cases of ASF.

Due to the swine fever, some local government units, such as Davao City, have banned the entry of pigs and other pork products from other areas.

In the case of Davao City, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has issued an executive order barring hogs and pork products from Luzon as checkpoints were also installed in the city's points of entry.

Panelo said Duterte-Carpio and the other local officials were just doing their job.

"She'd (Duterte-Carpio) want to protect her constituents," he said.

Asked if the Palace was still satisfied with how the DA is handling the issue on ASF, Panelo, who is also the chief presidential legal counsel, said, "I'm sure the Secretary of Agriculture is competent enough to handle this situation. He hasn't said anything about not handling it." Celerina Monte/DMS