The Quezon City government on Thursday denied accusations that African swine fever-infected pigs were buried inside the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman without the consent of the school officials.
The burial of ASF-infected pigs was not done in secret, but done in accordance with protocols, the city's assessment team said.
“Right off the bat, we vehemently deny accusations that the burial of 121 ASF-infected pigs was done secretly,” it said.
“In fact, consultative meetings were held with barangay officials, hog raisers and the UP administration. The burial only proceeded after the approval of the UP Chancellor for the use of the land as burial site and the concurrence from all concerned stakeholders,” its statement read.
“Also, nothing was done outside of accepted protocols in dealing with ASF.”
The burial of 121 pigs that were culled after being tested positive within the one-kilometer radius was in accordance with the 1-7-10 ASF protocols in a bid to contain the spread of virus to other places.
According to the city government, the ASF assessment team composed of the veterinary’s office, environmental protection and waste management department, and health office had looked for the best area to turn into a burial site within Barangay UP.
“We reiterate that ASF is a non-zoonotic disease that infects only pigs and not humans. We assure residents that even if burial sites are within their community, it will not endanger human health,” the city government said.
“We also remind them that burial areas should be off limits as human, though not affected, can be carriers of the virus and spread it to other areas where hog raising is a vital livelihood. Lastly, we will continue to take the necessary steps to disinfect the burial site,” it added.
