Skip to main content

Politicians Go for the Dogs

In 1998, The Philippine government passed the Animal Welfare Act which safeguards all animals in the country. The law protects all animals, but its greatest beneficiaries are the stray dogs that end up in the brutal and barbaric dogmeat trade. Hundreds of them are captured or bought cheaply from impoverished owners. Then, they are crudely slaughtered ( their throats slit or they are bludgeoned to death with a blunt object ) for consumption usually by drink-loving men who equate dogmeat and alcohol with the best of times. An odd sense of Machismo comes into play here.These same men feel the need to prove their manhood not by performing some kind of civic duty, but by slaughtering helpless and trusting strays. How manly is that? Are the strays truly protected by the law at all? Passing laws is one thing, enforcing them is another. Although there have been some rescues and interdictions by law enforcement officials, more need to be done. Enforcement is where the law turns into a toothless, paper tiger. Consider the following update from It's their Destiny (ITD) :

Dog meat bribe to voters by Filipino politicians

Dear Friends
Many of us outside the Philippines find it difficult to understand how dog eating can be so widespread when it is clearly illegal under that country's existing legislation. We agree that tougher laws are needed, but what is far more urgent is a willingness to enforce them. Currently any such will is blatantly lacking.

The following article dated October 18 was taken from
www.news.balita.ph. A "barangay" is a small electoral district, similar to a local council.
Why are dogs against barangay elections?

Eleksyon 2007 If dogs can talk, they would have called for the postponement of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections set on October 29 to save their skin.

The reason is that many of the dogs have already ended in the frying pan ever since the prospective candidates made their rounds in their respective barangays long before the campaign period started.

Dogs know that in every barangay election, many of their own kind end up as gourmet delight to please unappreciative voters.

It appears that despite the ban on the slaughter of dogs, the butchering of dogs continues, and much more often during village elections.

This is because of the penchant of candidates to give in to what most barangay folks and drinkers prefer most which is dog meat.

In Dagupan, it was reported that not many astray dogs roaming the streets may have already been caught and sold to candidates who usually make them into finger food or "pulutan" to prove friendship and manhood.

This prompted radio commentator in a morning program in Dagupan to call on the public not to unleash their dogs at night as they may end up in the noose laid by dognappers suspected to be supplying live dogs to barangay poll bets.

ITD's ongoing campaign against dog eating in the Philippines can be found at http://itstheirdestiny.2kat.net/phil.html

Our continued thanks for your support and for caring enough to want to make a difference.

From all the team at ITD

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Philippines. Reporting Animal Cruelty. Emergency Numbers. RA 8485.

Because I belong to an group of animal welfare advocates in the Philippines, I can read the numerous discussions between group members and people who, seems to me, just signed up to make an urgent plea for help. There were two this week who begged for assistance concerning two dogs who were tied up under rain and sun with no food nor water. One was described to be on the verge of a heat stroke. The images that filled my mind disturbed me immensely, but I am also encouraged at the same time. There is a growing number of animal welfare advocates in the Philippines and ordinary citizens are beginning to reject animal cruelty, willing to take personal action against it. Just from this website, I can see from the visitor data that many are seeking information on how to report animal cruelty in the Philippines. You can find my previous post on the subject HERE . Keep in mind that your complaint has legal standing via the Philippine Animal Welfare Act which is also known as the RA 8485 .

Three Members of the Philippine Shooting Team and the Killing of Protected Philippine Wildlife

When a member of the animal or plant kingdom goes extinct, there will be no second chances. Evolution will simply not repeat itself. There are reportedly eighty bird species that are unique to the Philippines and many of them have already made it to the endangered list. And we, to a great extent, have indiscrimate hunting to thank for it. In spite of two national laws protecting Philippine animals, the carnage continues unabated. The killings could occur as arbitrarily as guys getting together for macho time, or as a result of a well-planned hunting trip involving speed boats, bird callers, and camouflaged outfits. Either way, the outcome is the same. Philippine wildlife, our natural treasures, inches closer to a state of irreparable vacancy. Not too long ago, we learned about the Bacolod Air Rifle Club (BARC) whose unbridled killing of Philippine birds and ducks became the subject of an online petition calling for immediate government intervention. My post on that most disturbing c

Movie Oro. Dog Cruelty. Alvin Yapan. Mark Shandii Bacolod. Friends for the Protection of Animals.

Position Statement on Oro The Friends for the Protection of Animals are opposed to the use of any animal for the purposes of entertainment, labor, experimentation, or as captive exhibits. We believe in their natural born rights to freedom and an unencumbered life, rights that are no less valuable or unalienable as our rights as humans. In this light, we condemn the bludgeoning death of a dog, perhaps two as alleged by an insider, for dramatic purposes in the film, Oro. We a bhor the insensitivity of the cast and crew whose apathy to an animal's suffering, coupled with their desire for personal glory and industry recognition, moved us to ponder just how deep can human depravity sink. We question their responsibility to decency and compassion which evidently they heeded to cinematic expediency. Reported responses to the press reveal that there was never any compunction to do so. We consider the killings to be a violation of the Animal Welfare Act which prohibits cruel and exp