MANILA, Philippines – Two alleged suppliers of cheap but unsafe “botcha” or “double dead” meat were arrested at the Balintawak Market in Quezon City yesterday after several attempts by police and city hall operatives to catch them.
Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Chief Superintendent Benjardi Mantele said they confiscated 1,200 kilos of botcha from meat vendor Rose Garcia, 30, and Raymund Roxas, 26.
Police have seized several tons of botcha, declared by health authorities as unfit for human consumption, during previous raids on the Balintawak Market but the raiders failed to make arrests. The banned meat comes from animals that died of disease.
Acting on a tip, a team of police officers and employees of the city health department raided the market at around 2:30 a.m. yesterday and bagged around 400 kilos of the banned meat abandoned by the suspects on the sidewalk.
More than an hour later, the lawmen received a tip that a bigger volume of the contraband was to be dropped at the market “as soon as the police and personnel from the city health department leave the area.”
The information led to the discovery of another 800 kilos of double dead meat inside a white Mitsubishi van parked at a nearby gas station.
Garcia insisted the kilos of meat she was delivering were mere “leftovers” and were allegedly “clean” and safe to eat. “What do you want us to do? Throw them away? No way,” she told the raiders.
Police said Garcia was in the van, waiting for authorities to leave so she could deliver her merchandise.
When the raiders went back to the market, they arrested Roxas, who was found in possession of another 20 kilos of botcha.
Mantele said market-goers should be suspicious of meat sold at unusually low prices, especially on the sidewalks. He said consumers should buy meat bearing the stamp of the National Meat Inspection Service.
Health authorities said botcha is usually identifiable by its grayish or pale color, or by the artificial coloring used to make it look fresh.
“I urge everyone who has information about botcha and their suppliers to immediately call the nearest police station so we can promptly arrest the offenders,” Mantele said.
The QCPD chief encourages the public to contact the QCPD Tactical Operations Center at 0927-579-0004, call 920-1370, or send email to helpdesk.qcpd@yahoo.com. - By Jerry Botial
