DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The head of the city government’s business unit resigned for failing to postpone the cockfight derby that had resulted to exposure of more than a dozen participants to COVID-19.
This came after the city government held an inquiry on why the three-day event was pushed through despite the cancelation of public activities such as the Araw ng Dabaw.
Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio made this announcement Monday saying the chief of the Business Permit and Licensing Division of Davao City officially resigned on April 4.
Duterte-Carpio said the Division Chief could have stopped the staging of the three-day derby on March 7, 10 and 12, and averted the spread of the virus.
“The office did not vigorously act on it. It was a judgment call that was never made,” the mayor said.
But the three-day derby also got approval from the City Council which voted unanimously for its approval last February 4.
The city government inquiry, however, said the approval was obtained before the national health emergency was declared.
City Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, chair of the Finance, Ways and Means and the Appropriations and Games and Amusement committees, presented to the mayor the request of New Davao Matina Gallera manager Dory Du on January 14 to hold a “private-sponsored event of 3-cock derby”.
A permit was then issued on March 3 by the Davao City Business Permit and Licensing Division after the required documents were submitted.
On that same day, the city government issued Guidelines No. 3 that encouraged the postponing of activities by private groups and business establishments.
The Department of Health Davao Region reported 23 of the 80 reported cases in the region had exposure to Matina Gallera.
The department has cited that in the 11 deaths reported,6 were exposed in Matina Gallera and 427 were traced to have a history of exposure to the said event. (davaotoday.com)
