A heated exchange ensued between Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate and Agriculture Secretary William Dar and on Tuesday, August 10, after the latter accused the lawmaker of distorting facts on the impact of African swine fever (ASF) outbreak on the local hog industry.

During the House agriculture and trade committees' joint inquiry on the prices of pork and other commodities, Zarate questioned the Dar's statement that the government's responses to the ASF outbreak have improved.

He said "glowing statistics" from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) were in contrast with the projections of the Department of the Agriculture (DA).

The progressive lawmaker quoted the PSA's report as of June this year that "the lingering ASF combined with the deludes of frozen imports, eventually pulled down the output of the entire agriculture sector in the second quarter by 1.5 percent.”

Zarate also noted the PSA finding that the total output of the country's agricultural sector "shrunk" by 2.5 percent.

The DA, on the other hand, had projected a year-end growth target of two percent for the Philippines' farm sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ASF.

"Ito 'yong the opposite side of the coin. Nagco-constrict nang nagco-constrict actually ang output na yun dahil 'yong ating local producers sa hog and poultry can no longer produce that much as they used to, siyempre yung problema ng ASF at kakulangan ng suporta sa kanila na tinamaan pa tayo ng krisis (This is the opposite side of the coin. The output is actually further constricted because our local producers in the hog and poultry industry can no longer produce as much as they used to, of course because of the problem with ASF and the lack of support for them during this crisis)," Zarate said.

"Even the two-percent growth target ng (of the) DA is difficult to achieve at the end of this year," he pointed out.

Dar quickly disagreed with Zarate's statements, saying he did not claim that the country's problem with ASF has already ended, and that he only meant to highlight the DA's efforts to address it.

"Meron pa tayo, 'lingering' nga (We still have a problem, that's why it is still 'lingering')," Dar told Zarate.

"Itong (This) ASF, has contributed so much in the reducing the supply inventory that has been the fact and we continue to show that the platform for managing the ASF is also working. 'Yon lang po sinasabi natin. So sana ay wag nating baliktarin 'yong ating facts (That's what we are saying. So let's not twist our facts)," he added.

Zarate spoke up to protest the DA chief's remarks.

"Hindi ko ho binaliktad ang facts. And in fact, I did not say that there is no longer any problem," he said.

"If I can, I hope you should give us all the time to properly explain," Dar then responded.

"I take exceptions to your statements na binabaliktad ko ang facts (that I was twisting the facts)," Zarate continued.

"Then, we cannot proceed with this," the agriculture secretary replied.

Zarate said he only sought to get Dar's comment on the PSA's report and his agency's projection. "Do not accuse me of inventing data here o binabaliktad ang data (twisting the data)," he told Dar.

The solon then moved to strike Dar's responses out of the congressional records, saying it was an "unfair accusation".

House agriculture committe chairman and Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga also called out Dar and told the Cabinet official to "stick to the concerns".

Members of the House joint panels later approved Zarate's motion.

Before their exchange, Dar said the DA continues its efforts against ASF thru its "intensified" hog repopulation program.

He also reported to lawmakers that ASF cases have "significantly declined", with only 29 barangays with active infections. New cases have "steadily waned" across the country as 468 ASF-infected municipalities have not reported any new cases in the last three months, he added.

Last July 8, five municipalities and a city have also been declared ASF-free, Dar said.