1,000 hogs buried alive?

Small-time hog raisers in Barangay Cupang, Antipolo City have complained over the manner the City Health Office implemented the culling of pigs as a preventive against the spread of diseases.

The owners said some of the animals were still alive when they were buried in a mass grave.

City officials forcibly confiscated the hogs even if these were healthy, although the growers were aware of reports of pigs dying in piggeries in nearby areas.

About 1,000 hogs were seized by city hall personnel, and the owners were promised to be paid P3,000 for each animal.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has yet to determine the cause of the death of the said hogs.

The animal raisers said they are open to assisting the DA in identifying the reason for the swine deaths.