Marikina City Mayor Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro on Friday said he wants people who improperly disposed the pig carcasses seen floating in Marikina River to be held accountable.
On Thursday, 40 pig carcasses were spotted floating in the Marikina River. The Marikina City Veterinary Services Office (VSO) immediately retrieved then buried, per the advise of the Department of Agriculture (DA). They were buried 10 feet below the ground to ensure that possible diseases brought by carcasses will not spread.
There is no piggery nor a slaughterhouse in Marikina City, Mayor Teodoro earlier said.
“Para hindi na maulit, dapat ay may managot. Dapat proper disposal. Hindi puwedeng walang mananagot, dapat may managot,” Mayor Teodoro said.
“May proper disposal na dapat sundin para walang possible contamination,” he added.
Mayor Teodoro said another one was retrieved on Friday around 11 a.m. in Barangay Nangka, which is not yet bloated.
“I ordered to hold it in order to for it to get tested to determine if it died because of African Swine Flu (ASF),” he said.
Dr. Manuel Carlos, VSO chief, said he has already coordinated with the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), saying they will get blood samples from the carcass. The BAI is the only one that has the facility to test such.
“Pupunta yung teams ng BAI para kumuha ng sample sa baboy para malaman kung ano ang cause of death, including na doon ang ASF,” he said.
The VSO chief said it will take several days to get the result of the test.
The mayor said that he ordered a search party (water and land) to trace if where the pig carcasses came from.
He said that netizens have been sending photos of shallow graves of pigs that could have been washed off to Marikina River when it rained.
“May pinadala ang netizens na photos, na mababaw ang pagkakalibing ng mga patay na baboy, noong umulan inanod dito,” Mayor Teodoro said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Carlos said that it is non-transmittable to people, however, he said that it will impact the economy as ASF has 100 percent mortality rate.
“ASF is highly contagious sa kapwa baboy, hindi sa tao. It is non-zoonotic, meaning hindi ito transmittable sa tao kundi sa baboy sa baboy. 100 percent mortality. Ang problem sa ekonomiya,” the City Veterinary chief noted.
Mayor Teodoro also ordered to reactivate the quarantine checkpoints in the city to prevent the entry and spread of pig diseases affecting some provinces in the country.
Moreover, the mayor also prohibited fishing and any water-related activities at the Marikina River as it is now being checked for possible contamination.
“We are checking if may river contamination. We are checking the water quality para mapangalagaan ang well-being ng Marikina residents,” Mayor Teodoro said.
Carlos said that various diseases can be derived from the pig carcasses soaked in the Marikina River, should the water there get contaminated.
“Ang katawan ng hayop ay nagiging breeding ground ng bacteria or virus, maraming klaseng sakit ang puwedeng makuha in case ma-contaminate ang water. Kaya kinukuha natin agad ang mga patay na baboy at para hindi na kumalat ang mga sakit,” the VSO chief said.
Mayor Teodoro assured that the local government is on top of the situation, and the persons responsible will be held liable.
