DEC.

17, 2011 DATE

NR # 2620B
REF. NO.

House passes on final reading anti-botcha bill

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill that seeks to eliminate the sale and distribution of hot meat or botcha in the country by providing stiffer penalties for violators. House Bill 5490, which amends Republic Act No. 9296, otherwise known as The Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines, also penalizes persons and entities who are engaged in the transport of hot meat. The bill defines hot meat as the carcass or parts of carcass of food animals which were slaughtered from unregistered/unaccredited meat establishments and have not undergone the required inspection. Hot meat also includes undocumented, illegally shipped, and unregistered carcass and parts of carcass coming from other countries and those that are classified as hot meat by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS). The bill penalizes any person, firm or corporation who shall transport, sell or otherwise dispose of carcass, organs or parts thereof for food which have not passed ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection by competent authority shall, upon conviction, suffer a penalty of imprisonment of not more than six years or pay a fine of not more than P500,000, or both, at the discretion of the court. It also imposes the same penalty and fine upon any person, firm or corporation who shall falsify, forge or alter any accompanying certificate or other document or paper issued by the NMIS or NMISdeputized local government personnel, or who shall forge the NMIS or LGU seal or tag on said carcass, organs or parts. Accomplices and accessories of the above mentioned crime shall suffer a penalty of imprisonment of not more than three years or pay a fine of not more than P250,000, or both, at the discretion of the court. For those who shall store, transport, sell or otherwise dispose of meat and meat product which have been brought to the county without authority from the NMIS and the Bureau of Animal Industry, the measure imposes the penalty of imprisonment ranging from one year and one day to 10 years or pay a fine of not more than P1,000,000, or more than the value of the illegally imported items, or both, at the discretion of the court. Accomplices and accessories of the said crime shall be fined not more than P50,000 or imprisonment of not more than five years, or both, at the discretion of the court. The bill provides for the confiscation of meat and meat products deemed hot meat and the cancellation of the certificate or registration or franchise of the vehicle used. Livestock and poultry farms and other meat establishments that are found guilty of involvement in the commission of the crime shall suffer an additional penalty of cancellation of business permit and closure of the farm establishment as provided under the bill. (30) mvip