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Quarantine officials based at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) yesterday burned 62.1 kilograms of assorted undocumented meat that foreigners attempted to bring into Cebu over the past few weeks.
Most of the meat – 51.3 kilograms of pork sausages – were confiscated from a Korean, who even sought the help of “friends in government” to recover the meat, according to Dr. Arnie delas Marias, chief of the Veterinary Quarantine Services office at the MCIA.
Entry of meat from unregistered importers is prohibited in Cebu to prevent the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease and the Bird Flu virus from entering Central Visayas.
Delas Marias said the Korean brought 24 packs of pork sausages from South Korea last Apr. 30. When he could not present clearances for the meat, airport officials confiscated it. The Korean, she said, did not resist.
The next day, the Korean returned, accompanied by a policeman and a government official. He said he frequently flew between South Korea and Cebu, and it was the first time for him to bring meat.
The policeman and the government official also tried to persuade her to release the meat.
“I did not agree. I don’t care if he knows anyone and I don’t care if he’s relying on high-ranking people,” she said.
She declined to identify the Korean or his friends.
“They (foreigners) know they are not allowed to bring those (raw meat) and they still do it,” Delas Marias said.
She recalled the encounter with the Korean when she had to point at a sign at the airport that said “Ignorance of the law excuses no one.”
Apart from the Korean-made sausages, quarantine officials also burned two kilograms of chicken from Japan confiscated last March 29, two kilograms of Peking duck from Hong Kong seized last April 9 and 6.8 kilograms of pork belly from South Korea confiscated early yesterday morning.
TOOTHLESS LAWS
Delas Marias said that to avoid conflict, she had no plans to file complaints against those who tried to persuade her to set aside the law.
She admitted, however, that quarantine laws in the country are weak, making it hard for quarantine officials to go after violators.
“We cannot arrest or hold individuals who bring in meat from other countries. Wala pa man ngipon atong balaod (Our laws don’t have teeth yet),” she said.
“In the US, if you get caught, you’ll be detained,” she added.
Due to the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease and Bird Flu in some Asian countries, Philippine
quarantine laws have banned the importation of meat from most Asian countries, said Delas Marias.
Cirila Lumacad, an appraiser and examiner at the Assessment Division of the Bureau of Customs at the MCIA, said airline passengers are not normally given permits to bring meat into the country.
Importing meat requires a Veterinary Quarantine Clearance, which is issued by the Department of Agriculture’s head office, Lumacad explained. Only those who regularly import meat are issued the permit, she said.
Even then, meat coming from countries in the Philippine’s watchlist for Foot and Mouth Disease, Bird Flu and other diseases are not allowed into the country, she said.
Also, before a shipment of meat is released, the owner is still required to secure a landing permit from the local Veterinary Quarantine Services office.
