ACTING presidential spokesman Martin Andanar yesterday said charges should be filed against the government officials and individuals identified as alleged protectors of smugglers of agricultural products in the report of the Senate Committee of the Whole.
In a statement, Andanar said this will give those identified in the committee report a chance to defend themselves.
“We are one with the Senate in fighting corruption in the bureaucracy. File the necessary charges before the Office of the Ombudsman so officials and persons mentioned in the Senate report could be afforded due process, face their accusers, and have their day in court,” Andanar said.
The Senate Committee of the Whole has cited a “validated” list from an intelligence report naming officials from the Bureau of Customs and Department of Agriculture, among others, as alleged protectors of groups involved in the smuggling of agricultural products.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III has said that the intelligence report was submitted to his office last May 17.
The committee report made public on Monday identified five officials from the BOC and four from the DA as protectors or smugglers of agricultural products.
The BOC officials named in the report were Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, deputy commissioner Raniel Ramiro, deputy commissioner for revenue collection and monitoring group Vener Baquiran, director Geofrey Tacio of the customs intelligence and investigation service, and Yasser Abbas of the import and assessment division.
Also named were Undersecretary Ariel Cayanan of the DA Central Office, Dir. George Culaste of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), Eduardo Gongona of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and Laarni Roxas of BPI Region 3.
Also included in the list were Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco, David Tan, Gerry Teves, Mayor Jun Diamante, Manuel Tan, Jude Logarta, Leah Cruz, Andy Chua, George Tan, Paul Teves, Tommy Go, and Wilson Chua.
Sotto said he has provided president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. a copy of Senate committee report. The incoming President said he will temporarily head the DA.
Sought for his reaction, DA Secretary William Dar said: “Let the three officials named in the report be given a chance to face their accusers and defend themselves in the proper forum.”
The BFAR took exception to the inclusion of its head Gongona in the Senate report.
In a statement, the BFAR said: “Under Director Gongona’s leadership, the DA-BFAR has remained committed to the government’s endeavor to end corruption by instituting mechanisms and processes that uphold integrity and good governance within the agency.
As proof of this commitment, the DA-BFAR has, for the last five years, worked incessantly to improve its quality management system to ensure effectiveness, transparency, and accountability in all its processes. This quality management system has received an ISO 9001:2015 certification in 2020.”
It also said: “The DA-BFAR and Director Gongona are prepared to address all the allegations and ensure the Senate and the public of our participation in any investigation that will be initiated regarding this issue. We hope to be given a fair opportunity to prove DA-BFAR’s integrity and reach the truth of this matter.”
Meanwhile, Director Edsel Batalla of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) yesterday denied that the validated list quoted in the Senate committee report came from the agency.
Batalla was one of the resource persons when the Senate Committee of the Whole conducted its hearings on the issue of agricultural smuggling.
During the hearing, Batalla said the NICA was validating intelligence reports that at least 20 individuals were reportedly involved in the smuggling of agricultural products.
“If we look at the committee report, there was no mention that it came from NICA. We do have our own list, but it is different from the one that was published from the committee,” he said
Sotto insisted the list came from NICA, saying this was handed to him in his office.
“I have tangible proof. I even have the OSAA (Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms) time and dates when they came to see me in my office. I have witnesses. I suggest they do not force my hand,” Sotto said.
He added: “I promised them I will not say in the report, but if they will my hand and start telling media otherwise, then I will prove every detail of the meeting.”
Batalla said the NICA has no evidence that Tiangco was into smuggling. “The information we have are the cases filed by the local government of Navotas against smugglers,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English.
Tiangco denied his supposed involved in the smuggling of agricultural products.
“Sa mga nagdawit sa ‘kin diyan o dun sa mga sindikato, kung sa tingin ninyo sa pagsubok n’yo na sirain ang pangalan ko eh hihinto ako, hinding-hindi ako hihinto. Hinding-hindi ako hihinto na habulin kayong mga agricultural smuggler (To those who have dragged my name into this issue, to the smuggling syndicates, if you think that besmirching my name will stop me from running after smugglers, you are wrong. I will not from running after agricultural smugglers),” Tiangco said.
