Animal Protection Network

Vi har fått en rapport från Brando, en av de två researchers som vi jobbade med på Filippinerna. Läs hans rapport om vad dom gjorde i februari och se de hemska bilderna man har tagit. Varning för mycket starka bilder!

Jag har tagit bort registreringsnummer och några av namnen i rapporten.

Vårt jobb är så viktigt!

Hälsningar Lou
Animal Protection Network

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Monthly Report (02-08)

Brando D. Gegway
Senior Researcher
Animal Kingdom Foundation


This monthly report consists of the activities undertaken this month of February. It mostly regards with the surveillances regarding the activities of dog traders bringing butchered dogs Baguio Market and restaurants, Monitoring of slaughterhouses in Pangasinan, follow-up of AKF previous cases and the latest dog meat confiscation while dog meats are being transported to Baguio City.
Most of the surveillances were done in Baguio public market and dog meat restaurants. I carefully monitored the activities these dog traders delivering dog meats like noting their vehicles, time of delivery and follow-up on the slaughterhouses do these dog traders slaughter the dogs. Among these vehicles plate numbers are; XXX-XXX which is owned by YYY, XXX-XXX of Poldo Bugayong, New on the list are XXX-XXX of Poldo Bugayong and XXX-XXX which is Selga?s another used vehicle. Included on the list are the MEARBEL (XXX-XXX) and DNL (XXX-XXX) Taxi which is used by Severino Bugayong. Noting these vehicles can help during apprehensions at the Quarantine checkpoints to Baguio City. Determining the staging areas of these dog traders at the Market area is very difficult since they do not maintain one place. Like at the upper kayang then they hire Comby?s cart to bring it down to the meat stalls. Sometimes they also hide inside the Maharlika parking area before carrying the meats to the market. But it does not ends there, before bringing to the stalls the send emissaries to check if the stall owners are there including the surroundings if there are people monitoring them. Utilizing these unloading areas depends on the time when these dog traders arrive in Baguio. Six o?clock in the morning is late for them so they usually use the Maharlika parking area. If they are earlier they use the upper kayang. But if they exceed to seven o?clock they can just stop along Magsaysay road and carry the dog meats to the market. Sometimes they even carry from lakandula Street to the market after delivering to the restaurants. Yet some utilize the Dangwa bus terminal.
During the mid of these month February 16, I received a tip at 12 midnight that XXX-XXX was seen in Tarlac towards Baguio via Carmen Pangasinan . Immediately, I seek the assistance of my cousin?s vehicle and try to track this vehicle for its arrest. We reached Urdaneta at 4:00 am and never met the reported vehicle. While monitoring the Urdaneta highway I have seen the vehicle emanating from the livestock market of Urdaneta. Since, they stopped for coffee the Jolibee I secretly checked there vehicle but it was negative of dogs. I suspected they already unloaded there loads either from the nearby slaughterhouse in Mapandan town. My memory does not mislead me it was Cris Pascua who droved this vehicle.

My monitoring to the slaughterhouses in Pangasinan is usually coupled with the follow-up of AKF cases in this province. I was able to get the decision of case of Ramon Manalo in Binalonan as advised by the lawyers to be submitted to the court in Manila with appending case against this dog trader.
Recently with the coordinated effort of the DA quarantine Checkpoint station in Poyopoy Marcos Highway, its Tuba police auxiliary, NMIS and with AKF participation we were able to arrest the MEARBEL Taxi while on its way to Baguio City to deliver dog meats. I was in the Market at 4:00 doing surveillances when I was called by Dr. Ciriaco the quarantine officer in Poyopoy to help man the highway since the MEARBEL taxi was reportedly moving towards Baguio City. Right then I rented similar taxi towards Poyopoy to help chase the reported vehicle. Reaching earlier the Poyopoy quarantine checkpoint and after briefing I moved down to meet the monitored vehicle. On my way down I positively saw the vehicle in a water station parked along the highway. Thus I immediately maneuvered and parked near the quarantine check point. When the MEARBEL taxi reached us we moved and able to overtook to screen the dog traders upon reaching the quarantine checkpoint. Yet taxi tried to speed off and Dr. Ciriaco and a police followed and we were able to corner the taxi few kilometers away from the checkpoint. Dr. Ciriaco tried to stop and check a day before this confiscation but was able to run away. Thus, Dr. Ciriaco sought my assistance that morning and we were bale to corner it.

Upon inspection the vehicle is positive of loading dog meats. The illegal meats were buried at the NMIS compound. NMIS OIC Director Dr. Pintor commanded the dog traders to carry the meats up the hill were we mad a pit. This way they could witness how the meats are buried. It did not finished here the two were charged a crime of violation of Consumers Act. Since they were not able to post for their bill they spent a night the Tuba Municipal jail. During interrogation the dog traders said they got the butchered dogs in Calasiao Pangasinan but it actually came from Barangay Sabangan in Mapandan Town.

During our meetings we agreed to freeze operations until the new anti Rabies Law would be final. However, this is a call of the Job it was already there so I actively participated. It was the Quarantine officer who sought for my assistance to make this apprehension possible. I immediately decided to go on the rescue so that they will not say that I am ignoring. On the other hand this could boost my working relations with them so that when we will also seek their assistance hopefully they will not ignore it.

I also sought media men assistance to cover after the apprehension. This will avoid possible cover-up like the past when in the same check point we arrested a dog trader but with the presence of media the cover-up attempt did not prosper. (See photos on the other report)