Controversy over Vietnam rice heats up

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—The controversy over the allegedly smuggled 94,000 bags of Vietnam rice worth P141 million continued to brew after three of the consignees of the National Food Authority denied they ordered the importation while another organization not on the list claimed ownership of part of the shipment.

At the Bureau of Customs hearing held here on Wednesday, representatives of supposed consignees Ugnayan Magbubukid ng San Isidro, Pampanga, Karapatan Takusa Multi Purpose Cooperative Malipampang Concerned Citizen Inc., and Samahan ng Magsasakang Kapampangan at Katagalogan denied they participated in the importation of the 94,000 bags rice.

Representatives of these multipurpose cooperatives told the hearing officers they had no knowledge of the rice importation.

Only the Sili Multi Purpose Cooperative, and the Samahan ng mga Kapampangan sa San Ildefonso–who were on the list of consignees–claimed ownership of the imported rice, saying they have the import documents.

In an unusual turn of events, the representatives of Green Valley United Corp. appeared at the hearing and claimed ownership of the shipment although their entity was not included in the NFA list of consignees.

The 94,000 bags of Vietnam rice arrived at the Legazpi port on September 2.

The cargo was consigned to the NFA for the account of the Ugnayan  Magbubukid ng San Isidro, Inc., Magumbali, Candaba, Pampanga (21,000 bags of Vietnam rice); Karapatan Takusa Multi Purpose Coop of Mapanicqui Candaba, Palawan (21,000 bags); Malipampang Concern Citizen Multi Purpose Coop, Malipampang, San Ildefonso Bulacan (18,000 bags); Samahan ng Magsasakang Capangpangan at Katagalogan Multi Purpose Coop, Garlang San Ildefonso, Bulacan (18,000 bags); and Sili Multi Purpose Coop, Sili Naguilian La Union (16,000 bags).

At the hearing, the legal counsel of Ming Truong Shipping lines, the agent of Vietnamese vessel M/V Minh Tuan 68 that brought the cargo to this city, filed a motion requesting the BOC to release the vessel and discharge the cargo subject of the BOC Warrant of Seizure and Detention (WSD).

The shipping company claimed it has incurred huge revenue losses because the vessel has been detained at the port of Legazpi for more than a month.

Lawyer Christopher Inducil, BOC hearing officer, said they would soon decide on when to release the vessel after noting that shipping company has addressed all the environmental violations earlier found by inspectors from the Philippine Coast Guard.

Inducil said there was also a request from the consignees to change the hearing venue to the BOC office in Manila. The matter would be decided on the hearing to be held here on November 8, he said.