Alleged rice smuggler's lawyer may face probe too

Benito Salazar, lawyer of Davidson Bangayan who is believed to be the big-time rice smuggler David Tan, to the massive rice smuggling in the country, might need to answer a few questions about rice smuggling himself.

 

In letter shown to GMA News by a source from the Bureau of Customs (BOC), Salazar's signature appeared as consignee of several container vans of rice from abroad.

The Bureau of Customs is holding those shipments according to a report aired on "24 Oras" Friday evening.

 

Salazar's alleged involvement in rice importation was brought up at a Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food inquiry on Wednesday. Salazar, who was at the hearing to assist Bangayan, said representing importers is part of his job because of his expertise in rice importation.
 

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said her department is open to investigating Salazar. "While sigurado kami kay Davidson Bangayan a.k.a. David Tan, of course, we cannot rule out any other [people], kasi baka nga totoo na meron pang iba," De Lima said in the report.

 

More documents shown to GMA News by the source also suggest some Customs officials were involved in the smuggling of rice from 2010 to 2011 by allowing container vans with misdeclared shipments to leave the pier warehouse in exchange for a bribe of P15,000 to P20,000 per container van.

 

Customs Deputy Commissioner Jessie Dellosa confirmed shipments of rice have slipped out of ports in the past.

 

"Na-process ang rice, nailabas na without permit...Nalaman namin, so naharang namin. Ang question, bakit na-facilitate ang shipment without import permit?" he said.

He added the bureau is now investigating five to six Customs officials for involvement in smuggling.

 

"Eto kasi ang malaking problema sa Bureau of Customs e, itong corruption. Because of corruption, nagkakaroon ng smuggling. We have to solve corruption first at mawawala ang smuggling sa bureau," Dellosa said. — Elizabeth Marcelo/JDS, GMA News