Meat vendors sue Mayor Vi, dads

LIPA CITY — A group of meat vendors here have filed a suit against Mayor Vilma Santos-Recto and the Sangguniang Panglungsod for entering into what they alleged to be an anomalous contract for the privatization of the city’s slaughterhouse.

In an 11-page petition, the meat vendors, represented by Edmund Yutuc, Neptali Reyes and Arceli Neri, are asking Judge Jane Lantion to temporarily stop the implementation of Resolution Nos. 284 and 173, which the city council approved, and eventually declare them null and void.

The meat vendors claimed that the resolutions and the memorandum of agreement (MOA) which the city government entered into with businessman Jesus de Veyra failed to comply with the legal requirements stipulated under Sections 56 and 59 of the Local Government Code.

In their petition, the group recalled that on Oct. 9, 2002, De Veyra attended a session of the city council’s committee on rules, laws and privileges and submitted a proposal to operate and manage the city’s slaughterhouse.

On Oct. 17, 2002, the city council conducted a public hearing for deliberations on De Veyra’s proposal.

"How can it be considered a legitimate public hearing when it was attended by only 12 people, five of whom were government employees?" asked lawyer Reynaldo Marquez, the group’s counsel.

After the public hearing, the city council adopted Resolution No. 284 authorizing Santos-Recto to enter into an MOA with De Veyra for the operation, maintenance and upgrading of the city’s slaughterhouse.

Last May 23, the city council passed Resolution No. 173 amending the effectivity of the MOA and maintaining the old slaughter rate until July 1 this year.

The new rate was supposedly effective this month after another extension of the old rate due to the meat vendors’ protest.

The city government, however, said the privatization of the slaughterhouse would save it millions of pesos in operating expenses.

"The present income we derive from operating the slaughterhouse cannot cover the huge expenses in terms of salaries and maintenance," city administrator Pedrito Dijan said.

"We have to give it up before we accumulate a bigger loss," he added.

De Veyra, for his part, said the new slaughter fee is still the lowest compared to other cities and provinces.