Stiffer penalties for hot meat traders set for approval
Thursday, December 8, 2011
TRADERS of botcha, the local term for meat taken from an animal that died of disease, will face a jail term of up to 10 years if a bill banning the practice is passed into law.
The House of Representatives voted on Monday for the approval on second reading of House Bill 5490, which imposes stiff penalties for persons and entities found guilty of distributing, transporting, or selling hot meat.
However, Batangas Representative Mark Mendoza, chairman of the House committee on agriculture, said the House may not approve it for third and final reading before the Christmas adjournment next week.
Congress will be on a one-month break from December 16 to January 16, 2012.
“While the proposal is not expected to be enacted into law this Christmas season, we are optimistic that the severe threat of public health brought about by botcha will be eliminated soon,” Mendoza said.
A counterpart measure is filed by Senator Francis Pangilinan in November last year, but Senate Bill 2612 has yet to move past the Committee on Agriculture and Food.
Aside from endangering public health, botcha also threatens the country’s livestock and poultry with deadly diseases that could harm the economy and livelihood of millions of Filipinos.
The bill seeks to amend Republic Act 9296, or the Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines, which imposes light penalties against the dangerous sale of botcha.
Botcha dealers have been jeopardizing public health with impunity because penalties they get are mere slaps on the wrist.
Overhauling the penalty clause of the meat inspection code has become necessary, Bagong Henerasyon Representative Bernadette Herrera-Dy said.
Mendoza said House Bill 5490 also clarifies the definition of hot meat as the carcass or part of carcass of food animals which were slaughtered from unregistered meat establishments and have not undergone required inspection.
According to the bill, hot meat or botcha will also refer to undocumented, illegally shipped and unregistered carcass or parts of a carcass coming from other countries and those classified as hot meat by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS).
Any individual or corporation may be held liable for transporting, selling and disposing of hot meat for public distribution or sale.
Forging meat inspection certificate or seal will be penalized with imprisonment ranging from six months to six years and/or fined with a maximum P500,000.
The same penalties apply to persons or firms who will sell, distribute, and transport botcha for food.
Penalties for storage, sale, and distribution of botcha from other countries without NMIS authority include a maximum of ten years imprisonment and a P1 million fine, or both.
Pangilinan’s measure, meanwhile, wanted to increase penalties of fine from the present range of P1,000-P5,000 to P50,000-
P200,000, and imprisonment of 6-12 years from the current six months being imposed. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2011/12/08/stiffer-penalties-hot-meat-traders-set-approval-194724
Philippines has many top rated event venues for wedding ceremony and wedding reception, especially up in the north in Subic and Pampanga.
Clark Freeport located in Pampanga Philippines is just 70 minutes from Manila. Many wedding couples travel out of town for a getaway to hold wedding receptions and beach wedding ceremony in the beautiful and highly recommended hotels and resorts in Clark.
Clark’s neighbor Angeles City provides nightlife and bars for entertainment. However, most guests prefer to stay inside Clark Freeport for safety and security reasons. Wedding venues for outdoor reception are very popular in Clark. Brides and grooms travel out of town north of Manila to get married in Clark.
For any assistance in planning and organizing a wedding ceremony, indoor or outdoor garden reception or to find other wedding service providers, contact us ( link to contact page)
www.philippinesweddingvenue.com
Philippines Wedding Venues Service Center
Creekside Road corner of Centennial Road,
Central Business District, Clark Freeport Zone,
Pampanga, Philippines 2023
Tel: (045)599-5949 0917-520-4403 0922-870-5177
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay
Email: Wedding@Yats-International.com
For any assistance in planning and organizing a wedding ceremony, indoor or outdoor garden reception or to find other wedding service providers, Click here to contact us click here
For assistance in hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines, log on to
http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com
To inquire with the highly recommended beach resort hotel in Clark Pampanga visit http://www.ClearwaterPhililippines.com
For more information about Clark, Pampanga, Philippines log on to
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com
Yats Restaurant is the best restaurant for special dinner, best restaurant for dinner with friends near Manila, also the best place to celebrate special events.
A Well-known Restaurant in Pampnga, an interesting place to celebrate Birthday Party in Pampnga.
A best place to dine with friends in Pampanga
Are you looking for an attractive restaurant or a nice place to eat with friends in Clark, Angeles City Pampanga? Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar is a restaurant with good food and good wines for dinner located at Clark Angeles City Pampanga. Perfect for exclusive dinner venues for groups, recommended for private dinner in Philippines. A Restaurant in Clark for business dinner meeting. Private dinner place or dinner restaurant in Clark Subic Near Manila Angeles City Pampanga. Yats Restaurant is one of the Good Restaurant in Pampanga Angeles City Clark near Manila. Yats Restaurant is one of the good restaurants in Pampanga, a restaurant with good food, a place that is nice for celebration, ideal for business dinner meeting, a good place to enjoy family reunion, and an attractive restaurant that serves good wines for dinner.
www.YatsRestaurant.com
Where to go in Clark? Hotel Clark Philippines is a De Luxe Hotel in Clark and Subic, a risk free place to stay, cozy and nice ambience, a nice function place for special occassion
Looking for interesting hotels near Manila Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga?
Trouble free hotels and well recognized hotels in Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga
Clearwater Resort and Country Club offers a good place to stay in Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga. In offers nice place to have rest in Subic Pampanga outside Manila.
One of the Philippines top hotels in north Luzon. It is one of North Luzon Philippines’ top hotels that is trouble free, risk free, and a nice place to have rest in Subic. A well-recognized and interesting hotel.
www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com