72 slaughtered dogs discovered in pickup truck after Imus crash

Police on Thursday discovered 72 slaughtered dogs at the back of a pickup truck involved in an accident along an Imus, Cavite Highway.

According to Sandra Aguinaldo's report on "24 Oras," the driver of the truck fled after colliding with an SUV at the General Aguinaldo Highway-Daang Hari Road intersection.

"Hindi naman dapat tumatakbo 'yung mga drivers, 'yung further search po, 'yun po ang nag-lead na may mga ganoon palang mga karga 'yung sasakyan po," said Imus Police Superintendent Norman Rañon.

Based on the cellphone recovered inside the vehicle, Imus police identified the driver as Perry Baybay. Police also found a license plate inside the vehicle different from the one attached to it.

"Merong separate na plate number po na nandodoon sa loob ng sasakyan, and nakita na iba nga po 'yung nakakabit," Rañon said.

The dogs' innards had been taken out and their fur and flesh burned off the meat. Animal Kingdom Foundation Program Director Heidi Caguioa said this meant that the dogs were already prepared for sale after slaughter. The Imus City Veterinary Office identified several of the slaughtered dogs to be from large-sized breeds. The dogs were later turned over to the city's disposal unit.

"From Pangasinan hanggang Baguio, Benguet na po 'yan kasi nandoon po ang market, ang source po natin kasi usually dito sa Calabarzon," Caguioa said.

The police, for its part, said it had yet to determine where the vehicle came from or where it was headed.

Imus Mayor Emmanuel Maliksi condemned the shipment.

"Nabigla ako, mabuti na lamang na napapasalamat na lang ako na nagkaroon ng vehicular accident, kasi kung hindi, siguro nadala itong mga ano na itong mga hot na dog meat na ito somewhere," Maliksi told GMA News.

Those behind the dog meat trade are in violation at least three laws that could lead to imprisonment and a fine of P5,000 for each animal. —Margaret Claire Layug/JST, GMA News