Pangilinan questions DA exec’s ‘recanting’ of statement linking officials to agri smuggling

Senator Francis Pangilinan on Tuesday questioned the "recanting" statement of an Agriculture assistant secretary who earlier alleged that high-profile individuals are linked to agricultural smuggling in the country.

This came after Pangilinan, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and ACT-CIS Party-list Representative Eric Go-Yap, who also sits as designated caretaker of the legislative district of Benguet, urged Agriculture Assistant Secretary Federico Laciste to disclose the names of the high-profile individuals who are said to be involved in smuggling activities.

At the early part of the hearing, Sotto mentioned at least four names of "players" in agricultural smuggling who are supposedly protected by politicians. These names, however, are still subject to validation by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Sub-Task Group on Economic Intelligence (STG-EI).

Pangilinan noticed that the names that were mentioned did not include names of politicians, contrary to Laciste's earlier claim.

"Sa last hearing kasi pinapasubmit na ang pangalan, nag-agree naman tayo na isusumite kahit under an executive session. Ang problema walang pangalan na politician base sa March 19 [dialogue] na sinabi nga ni Mr. Laciste mismo," Pangilinan said.

(Last hearing he was asked to submit names, even in an executive session. The problem is there are no politicians' names based on the March 19 dialogue Mr. Laciste referred to.) 

The senator asked the Agriculture official to respect the process, as he noted that it was he who requested the March 19 dialogue between the Benguet farmers and the Department of Agriculture officials.

"Mayroon palang recording na 'yon ang sinabi niyo tapos dito po sa Committee of the Whole hearing babaguhin ninyo, e huwag po kayo magsisinungaling sa harap ng senador," Pangilinan said.

(There's a recording of what you said then and then here at the Committee of the Whole hearing you change your statement. Do not lie in front of senators.)

"'Yung binigay niyong listahan walang politiko, e yung sinabi niyo nung March 19 may mga politician at congressman pa nga e. So please, huwag niyo kaming nililinlang. Dito lang tayo sa totoo," he added.

(The list you gave does not have any names of politicians, when on March 19 you said that politicians, congressmen are involved. So please, do not try to deceive us. Let's stick to the truth.)

The lawmaker then reiterated Sotto's call for Laciste to submit the names of "big-time personalities" who called him up regarding the entry of smuggled agricultural products in the country.

Laciste tried to explain that he only mentioned this during the dialogue because he was trying to "appease" Agot Balanoy, the public relations officer of the League of Association at the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Areas who, at the time, was receiving threats.

"Sir, for one, hindi naman sa ako ay nagsisinungaling, sir. What's the purpose sir na magsisinungaling ako? I've been taking this action in spite and despite na wala akong tao at wala akong budget," Laciste said.

(I am not lying, sir. What's the purpose of me lying? I've been taking this action in spite of having no people and no budget.)

"Ang nangyayari po ngayon, they just pin on me kasi nagsalita ako ng something out of, overzealous ako noon to appease si Ms. Agot because may threat siya. Sabi ko, 'Ma'am, parehas po tayo may tumatawag din sa akin,'" he added.

(I was overzealous to appease Ms. Agot because there was a threat against her. I said, "Ma,am, we're the same. Someone has also been calling me.")

Like Balanoy, Laciste argued that he cannot just link any individual to smuggling without sufficient basis.

"Chineck ko naman. Hindi naman directly tumawag sa akin. Sinong tao ang magsasabi sa akin na ikaw ba si congressman, ikaw ba si colonel, ikaw ba si deputy commissioner, e ginamit lang yung mga pangalan sir e. Same thing hindi po validated 'yung sinabing mga name pero just to appease Ms. Agot, na may threat siya, sinabi ko rin na may mga tumatawag din [sa akin]. So parang nakipag-relate lang ako sa kanya at that time that she is worried about her safety," he said.

(I checked. They didn't call me directly. Who would tell me that they're this congressman, this colonel, this deputy commissioner, when their names were just used. So the said names have not been validated but just to appease Ms. Agot, who was being threatened, I also said that someone was also calling me. I tried to relate to her at a time when she was worried for her safety.)

Asked if he was lying during the dialogue, Laciste said that there were really individuals who called him but the names are just second-hand information.

"Sir totoo po na may tumawag po sa akin but hindi po sila mismo directly tumawag sa akin, they just, nag-name drop lang po. Kung mali po yon, I'm sorry," he said.

(It's the truth that there were people calling me but the officials' names were just name-dropped. If that's wrong, I'm sorry.)

'I can't blame you'

At this point, Pangilinan expressed dismay over Laciste's statement but he said he understands that the DA official is "changing his tune out of fear."

"You're actually recanting what you said. Your previous statement was meron and now you are explaining na hindi pala ganon. Name-dropping lang. [Your previous statement said there were names but now that's not the case, that it was just name-dropping.] Whatever it is, kung ano ang name na dinrop [whatever name was dropped]can you please submit to the Senate president's office as the chairman of the committee of the whole so that we get a sense of this all," Pangilinan said.

"Alam mo, hindi ko rin kayo masisi, Asec. Laciste, kung matataas na tao, mga untouchable ang involved dito kaya kayo rin ay nagdadalawang isip para magsabi ng totoo, allow me to at least share that with you," he added.

(I can't blame you, Asec. Laciste, if top officials, untouchables are involved here, and so you're having second thoughts.)

"I can understand if you are afraid to tell the truth and you are trying to cover up, hindi naman [not really] cover up, but you are trying to change the tune, or you actually changed the tune of your earlier statement doon sa [on the] dialogue and if it is because of fear," he added.

The Senate Committee of the Whole is investigating the proliferation of smuggled agricultural products in the Philippine market.

The panel is also looking into the issues in the Bureau of Customs that are related to the smuggling of crops. — BM, GMA News