NICA director disowns Senate panel’s list of agri smugglers

The names of suspected smugglers and their protectors mentioned in the report of the Senate Committee of the Whole was not from the National Intelligence Coordination Agency, its director said on Tuesday.

NICA director Edsel Batalla made the remark when asked for comment after two senators criticized the agency for the rawness of the information on the alleged players in agricultural smuggling.

“The list did not come from NICA. In fact, [if you will look at the] committee of the whole report, there was no mention that it came from NICA," Batalla said in a text message.

"We do have our own list but it is different from the one that was published from the committee,” he added.

Batalla said Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco was not on NICA's list of suspected smugglers.

"Per NICA data, [he has no] involvement in smuggling or even as protector,"Batalla said, adding that what NICA had was information on cases the Navotas local government had filed against smugglers.

Reacting to Batalla’s statement, Senate President Vicente Sotto III warned the NICA director about his latest claim.

“Be careful. I have witnesses and signed logs of their visit sa Senate through [Office of Sergeant-at-Arms]. Tell him,” Sotto said.

The Senate Committee of the Whole report sourced by the media Monday showed that Customs Commissioner Rey Guerrero, several Customs and Agriculture officials were identified as alleged protectors and smugglers of agricultural products.

The report identified 22 persons linked to the alleged smuggling based on an intelligence report received by Sotto on May 17, 2022 containing a "validated list" of persons purportedly involved in the illegal importation of agricultural products in the country. 

Senator Nancy Binay said Tiangco had been “very active and vocal” about the issue of smuggling as well as the diversion of marine and aquatic products in the locality which she said are being imported by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

"Napaka-imposible at no way na maging protector si Mayor Toby. I know him personally and I believe his name shouldn't have been in the list in the first place,” Binay said.

Binay criticized the NICA over supposed past incidents where reports were “culled from fake sources and social media posts being submitted to Senate.”

“Oftentimes, laziness and incompetence are the reasons why these reports backfire—NICA somehow fails to fact check and, most often, gets the facts wrong," Binay said.

"Faulty intel can damage and scar innocent people's reputation," she added.

Senator Joel Villanueva said NICA should shed light on the basis of the  list in the committee report.

“Napakahilaw ng listahang ito. Nasaan ang mga facts na susuporta sa kanilang report? Paano nila nabuo ang listahang ito?" Villanueva said.

[This list is quite raw. Where are the facts that support the report? How was this list put together?] —NB, GMA News