Authorities Confirm Dog DNA in Dish Bought From Benguet Restaurant
DOG – Authorities have confirmed that dog meat was present in a food sample obtained from a Benguet restaurant, reigniting concerns over illegal food practices in the province.
The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) has confirmed that a food sample purchased from a restaurant in La Trinidad, Benguet, contained dog meat after laboratory testing detected canine DNA.
According to the findings of the NMIS laboratory examination, the sample taken from a dish bought at the unnamed restaurant tested positive for dog DNA. The confirmation has prompted authorities to pursue additional legal action against the owner of the establishment.
The latest development adds to an ongoing investigation involving the restaurant, which is now facing new criminal complaints following the laboratory results.
Animal welfare advocate lawyer Amadeo Degay revealed that this is already the second reported incident involving food allegedly served by a restaurant with the same name in La Trinidad.
“The second one involves another restaurant with the same name. Nakapag-order ang ilang government employees ng two servings ng suspected dog meat.
“And the meat was sent by NMIS Baguio City to their laboratory and the result is again positive,” Degay said during the media interview.
Degay explained that while the Animal Welfare Act provides limited exemptions allowing the killing of dogs for certain cultural or ritual practices, those provisions should not be interpreted as permission to commercially slaughter dogs for food.
“There are instances when a cultural ritual required the killing of dogs. That is an exemption under the Animal Welfare Act, but to say that it is our culture to butcher dogs para lang kainin ‘yung meat, that is disputable,” he clarified.
He emphasized that cultural exemptions under the law are intended for specific circumstances and should not be used to justify the commercial sale or consumption of dog meat.
Following the release of the laboratory findings, four new criminal cases were filed against the restaurant owner. The charges are expected to proceed as authorities continue investigating the alleged violations of animal welfare and other applicable laws.
As of this writing, the owner of the restaurant has not issued any official statement regarding the allegations or the criminal complaints filed against the establishment.
The case has once again drawn public attention to the enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act and the country’s laws prohibiting the illegal slaughter and sale of dog meat. Authorities are expected to continue monitoring similar reports while reminding the public to report suspected violations to the proper government agencies.
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