Local farmers to testify vs. rice smuggling – Abono
ROSALES—Members of three farmer cooperatives in Pangasinan are ready to testify before the January 22 Senate hearing and identify the source of the smuggled rice that they are selling.
Rosendo So, founding chairman of the Abono party-list based here, said he has already talked to the cooperatives and has convinced them to help in putting an end to rice smuggling in the country.
At presstime, So could not be reached to comment on the arrest and claim of Davidson Bangayan that he is not the alleged rice smuggler David Tan.
So pointed out that records indicate that about 800,000 metric tons or 16 million cavans of smuggled rice entered the country last year, and some are funneled through farmer cooperatives.
So, also the chairman of the peasant coalition Samahang Industriya ng Agrickultura (Sinag), said his group is optimistic that the national government will take appropriate legal action against the rice smugglers once they are publicly exposed.
The farmers, meanwhile, have been urged to focus on expanding their rice fields and improving planting efficiency so that the country can achieve its goal of rice self-sufficiency.
STARCRAFT
In another development, So asserted that Starcraft International Trading Corp. was effectively smuggling when it brought in imported rice without first securing an import permit.
But Starcarft lawyer Benito Salazar branded the alleged smuggling claim as mere “vilification campaign” against the company, saying it did not attempt to deceive authorities about the goods it was shipping in and had informed the National Food Authority (NFA) in advance.
“If they really informed NFA about it but no import permit was issued, why did it still go on with its shipment?” So asked.
“Are you trying to say that other importers can do the same, shipment first before securing import permit?… Kung hindi nahuli yung shipment na yan eh hindi na nalaman eh pupuslit na lang nila without permit,” he added.—Tita Roces
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