Duterte to Dar: Stop swine fever

MANILA, Philippines — Is containing the African swine fever outbreak as futile as stopping the tide, as the Danish warrior King Canute found, according to a 12th century account by Henry of Huntington?

President Rodrigo Duterte wants the disease “contained and stopped” from spreading to more provinces, but Malacañang admits that’s easier said than done.

Now in Pangasinan

As reports that African swine fever had spread to Pangasinan province reached the Palace on Monday, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the President had given Agriculture Secretary William Dar a fresh order.

15 pigs die

“Contain it, stop it,” Panelo said, quoting the President’s order to Dar, when asked for comment on 15 pigs in Pangasinan testing positive for African swine fever.

Last month, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said the disease had been contained, and assured the public that pork was safe to eat.

But more pigs have since died, with 5,000 culled in the past week, bringing the total to 20,000 since August.

Difficult

“It just happened that it spread. You know, when there’s a contagion, it might be difficult to stop it,” Panelo said.

He, however, expressed confidence that the DA could handle the situation and that Dar was competent enough to deal with the disease that was ravaging the country’s hog industry. —With a report from Ronnel W. Domingo