DoH, DA avoiding swine fever issue

“ Since no statements from both the DA and the DoH have been forthcoming lately, observers have good reason to suspect that officials of these agencies are either incompetent or have vested interests to protect.

Nobody seems to notice it yet, but officials from the Department of Health (DoH) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) seem to be very pleased that the latest public concern is about the resurgence of polio in the country, and the hard stance the administration is taking against vaping, especially by minors. It’s almost as if they do not want these most recent issues to go away.

With everyone talking about polio and vaping, the earlier controversy about the African swine fever (ASF) and contaminated pork products being sold to the public has been relegated to the sidelines.

Unfortunately, the ASF problem remains a serious threat to public health and the viability of the pork meat industry in the Philippines. It is, therefore, alarming that inept officials from the DoH and DA have conveniently avoided discussing this health issue in public. What the public needs is more discussion, not secrecy.

Last October, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), an agency under the DA, came out with its laboratory report, which stated that the hotdog, longganisa and tocino products of a popular brand of local pork products tested positive for the ASF virus. That laboratory report was signed by the BAI division chief, a certain Dr. Rosemarie Antegro.

A copy of that laboratory report was released to the media, which disseminated the same to the public. The brand of the contaminated products was blotted out in the copy.

Fearing a public boycott of the local pork products industry, the Philippine Association of Meat Processors asked the DA to identify the manufacturer whose pork products were found positive for the ASF virus. DA spokesman Noel Reyes, who doesn’t seem to understand what he says to the public, declined to identify the manufacturer on the flimsy, insulting excuse that they have to first authenticate the laboratory report.

The DA has to authenticate the official laboratory report released by one of its own agencies? Good grief! That Noel Reyes should face administrative raps for compromising public interest and public health through his improvident statements.

As if the Reyes excuse was not insulting enough, DoH Undersecretary Enrique Domingo later announced that pork contaminated with the ASF virus is safe for human consumption. How he arrived at that sweeping conclusion, Dr. Domingo does not explain.

Because scientists maintain that a seemingly harmless virus ingested by a human host can mutate into a deadly microbe in some known instances, Domingo has a lot of explaining to do.

As of this writing, the DA has kept silent about the laboratory test conducted by the BAI, and the DoH has not given any satisfactory explanation as to how and why pork contaminated with the ASF virus is safe for humans to eat.

So far, DoH officials have been in the news lately, giving their views on the polio scare and the possible health risks that go with vaping. They have conveniently avoided discussing the ASF and its effect on pork sold to the public.

Since no statements from both the DA and the DoH have been forthcoming lately, observers have good reason to suspect that officials of these agencies are either incompetent, have vested interests to protect, or are hiding something from the public.

Undoubtedly, there is a serious need for the DA and the DoH to address the ASF issue squarely and immediately.

The lack of action, transparency and candor on an issue of immense public importance as displayed by medical officials of both the DA and the DoH seems to be enough reason for an advocacy group to consider suing them before the Professional Regulation Commission or the Philippine Medical Association for unethical practice of their profession and the revocation of their licenses.

They are also considering filing administrative and criminal charges against the officials before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Meanwhile, there are many restaurants and fast-food outlets still selling hotdogs, longganisa and tocino daily. Being so, the DoH should require these establishments to declare under oath the name of their suppliers. The public has a right to know, notwithstanding the incompetent, secretive officials running the DA and the DoH.