(Eagle News) – Manila City mayor Isko Moreno led the inspection on Wednesday, July 17, of the Vitas slaughterhouse in Tondo as he vowed to make changes in the area.
“I will not allow this. I cannot tolerate this,” as he went around the filthy facility which he said would soon undergo rehabilitation.
He said he would also build a vertical housing program for the thousands of families living near the area.
“May awa ang Diyos. We will try to come up with a new slaughterhouse, (as well as an) in-city vertical housing program (in the area). It’s going to be a community development,” he said.
In a separate Facebook post later on Wednesday, he said, “We will fix this. We will develop this place. Manileños deserve better.”
During his inspection, he was also presented with more than 40 kilos of double-dead or “botcha” meat seized along Recto avenue earlier that morning.
-More “hot meat” seized in Manila-
Later in the afternoon, Manila authorities seized more than 500 kilograms of “hot meat” during a surprise inspection along Elcano Street in Divisoria, Manila.
The Manila Veterinary Inspection Board (VIB) reported to Moreno that 532 kilograms of beef shank tagged as “hot meat” were seized 2:15 pm. on Wednesday, July 17.
The beef shank during the operation was estimated to be worth around P80,000. This is in line with the Mayor’s intensified anti-botcha campaign.
“Basta hindi ininspeksyon ng accredited slaughterhouse, hindi ito safe,” Moreno said as he warned the public to be vigilant when shopping for meat.
“Pagkain ito. We cannot just send these to our markets. Kinakain ito ng tao, kaligtasan ang nakataya dito,” he said. “May gobyerno na ang Maynila. Hindi na kami titigil (sa kampanya).“
