Two in Subic Freeport rice smuggling case cited for contempt by Senate

Two people allegedly involved in a rice smuggling attempt in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone were cited for contempt by the Senate on Tuesday. The Senate panel investigating the case was not satisfied with the testimonies given by Amira Foods chief executive officer Protik Guha and General Santos City resident Cesar Ramirez, and subsequently cited them for contempt. The panel earlier said that foreign exporters and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority may have connived to smuggle 420,000 sacks of Indian rice and 90 container vans of Vietnam rice into the country through the freeport. At a Senate hearing on the case two weeks ago, the Senate issued a show cause order against Guha, Ramirez and three others:  - Cesar Bulaon (vice president of Metroeastern Trading Corp., consignee of Amira) - Stefani Saño (senior deputy administrator for business and investment development of the SBMA) - Vicente "Bong" Cuevas III (broker and president of CAMJ Construction Inc.) At the same hearing, Senate agriculture committee chairman Sen. Francis Pangilinan said that it was "obvious" there were people lying among them. "Clearly there are conflicting testimonies on the same set of facts, on the same set of considerations, ano gagawin natin dito, may nagsisinungaling, precisely that is a basis to cite anyone in contempt," he said in an interview after the hearing. "You have explained your contradictory statements; the truth lies somewhere," Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said during the hearing. Bulaon, Saño and Cuevas were deemed to have given “acceptable” answers for their defense and were not cited for contempt. “Sumagot na sila kay Sen. Pangilinan. Based on his recommendations, ‘yung tatlo acceptable ‘yung explanation, although hindi pa rin maganda, pero medyo tinatanggap ng committee,” Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto told reporters on Monday. Last Wednesday, the Senate ordered the arrest of Magdangal Diego Bayani III of St. Andrews Field Grains and Cereal Trading in Pasay City after failing to attend Senate hearings to shed light on the incident. — BM, GMA News