CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Claiming that the deed was done “to safeguard the general welfare of the public” and “in good faith”, two Pampanga mayors named in the graft complaint filed earlier this week by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (Pdea) at the Office of the Ombudsman aired their side.
Mayors Maria Lourdes Lacson of Magalang and Jose Maria Hizon of Bacolor, son of prominent businesswoman Lolita O. Hizon of the popular Pampanga’s Best meat products, were named respondents in the 10-page graft complaint that stemmed from the sale of 4,038 hogs used as cover for an underground methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, laboratory in Magalang town in September last year.
Hizon said he was “a buyer in good faith.”
In an interview, Hizon narrated how he was informed of the desire of the local government of Magalang and how he tendered his bid for the sale of the livestock.
Hizon said he was informed by somebody he identified as Gilbert Deang of the Magalang local government’s need to sell the hogs in the Jeowang (not Jay Wang as earlier reported here) Piggery that was raided and found to have a shabu laboratory in the premises.
Deang, according to Hizon, is the father of the classmate of his daughter at Brightwoods School and is known to be a close associate of Lacson.
Hizon said the mode of the sale was through a public bidding, that was why he tendered his bid for P7 million. The mayor said he was informed later that he was the winning bidder, since he was the lone bidder.
However, Hizon said he was surprised to see the rapid deterioration of the livestock; most of which were sick, afflicted with diarrhea and coughing, while many were already dead.
So for four days, Hizon said, a veterinarian administered “shotgun treatment” for the livestock. The mayor said it cost him P160,000 a day, or a total of P640,000, to treat and feed the livestock. When their condition improved, Hizon said he started withdrawing them from the farm, and it took him another eight days to do that.
Hizon added that he tendered his bid as a private businessman and not as a mayor, because that is his business.
“I understand the check for the payment of the hogs has been turned over to the Pdea,” he said.
For her part, Lacson, in a text message to reporters, said: “I did not receive any document about the case filed by the Pdea. However, I stand on a firm ground that the courses of actions that were done to dispose of the hogs were to safeguard the general welfare of the people.”
Lacson also said the decision rendered was “in consonance with the advice and legal opinion of the Department of the Interior and Local Government [DILG].”
Shortly after the Pdea raid of the underground laboratory in Magalang on September 7, 2016, Lacson was the guest in the media forum at the Clark free port, where she aired the local government’s desire to dispose of the livestock.
She said at the time that she was facing the problem of feeding and maintaining the health of the livestock that total 4,038 heads—2,145 piglets, 857 growers, 660 finishers, 359 sows and 17 boars.
Lacson said there were 12 Filipino workers, all from the Visayas, who still have not received their salaries at the time. The mayor said she talked to the workers to continue with their work and promised to pay them double from the proceeds of the sale of the livestock.
Lacson said she consulted Pampanga Gov. Lilia G. Pineda, who advised her to seek legal opinion.
She said she sought legal opinions from three lawyers, but they all had different opinions on what to do with the livestock. Even the DILG provincial office seemed to be at a loss on what to do, she added.
Finally, she said it was established that the livestock is “not proof of the crime” and, therefore, they can be disposed of because they threaten public health, with a mortality rate of 10 pigs per day.
Lacson said she had obtained certifications from the Municipal Health Office and a report from the Department of Agriculture (DA) as to the danger to public health and status of the livestock.
Lacson added that she invited representatives from the DA to witness the sale of the livestock. Otherwise, she said, she is contemplating of dispersing the piglets to residents of the barangay to help them in their livelihood.
Image credits: Magalang, Pampanga Town Hall