NBI rice probe goes beyond ‘David Tan’

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima: Probe beyong ‘David Tan’. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday said that the National Bureau of Investigation was expanding its investigation of rice smuggling “beyond the case of David Bangayan aka David Tan.”

De Lima was referring to Bangayan who authorities said was David Tan, a suspected rice smuggler.

Speaking to reporters, De Lima said she had given instructions to the NBI to file charges against other alleged rice smugglers the moment the case was ripe for filing.

“It’s already beyond David Bangayan. Although Davidson Bangayan’s case came first, my instruction to the NBI was to file the proper complaint in the DOJ (Department of Justice) if they have strong evidence, including that of the Senate investigation,” she said.

The filing of perjury charges against Bangayan would not preclude a future recommendation for the filing of charges against him over his alleged role in rice smuggling, Sen. Cynthia Villar said Wednesday.

The agriculture committee is pushing ahead with the filing of perjury charges against Bangayan on Friday in the Pasay City regional trial court for claiming that he was not David Tan despite testimonies and documents proving otherwise, Villar said.

This tack was better than detaining Bangayan in the Senate, which could pose some legal complications, said Villar, chair of the agriculture committee.

“It’s better to cancel his passport, and then he has a perjury case,” she told reporters. “This is more harsh punishment than detaining him.”

Villar said this would not preclude a recommendation for the filing of other charges against Bangayan after the hearing is concluded.

She earlier said that the committee had been able to link him to rice trading, and “if you use other people to import for your benefit, that is illegal.”

The DOJ should file charges against Bangayan based on the recommendation of a joint Senate committee that inquired into rice smuggling in 2012, Villar said.

“They should file the charges. That’s why we’re doing it before them so they can build up the case and file as soon as possible,” she said.

After last Monday’s hearing on rice smuggling that cost the government P8 billion in forgone revenue in 2012, the committee cited Bangayan in contempt for denying that he was the same Tan accused of large-scale smuggling.

The committee recommended the filing of perjury charges against him, the cancellation of his passport and his inclusion in the immigration bureau’s hold departure watchlist.

The NBI arrested Bangayan after the hearing in connection with an electric pilferage case in Caloocan City. Bangayan posted bail in a Manila court hours later.

De Lima said witnesses had come forward to say that Bangayan paid farmers’ cooperatives to bid for permits to import rice, offering incentives, and used these cooperatives as fronts to sell and distribute imported rice.

Bangayan denied he was David Tan, or that he was involved in smuggling. He admitted forging joint venture agreements with the cooperatives to import rice, and said this was not illegal.

In last Monday’s hearing, he tried to extricate himself by claiming that import permits were being dangled for a price. Agriculture officials said he was not a registered rice trader, and hence, had no authority to import rice.