Farmers’ co-ops disown seized rice

LEGAZPI CITY—The mystery deepens over the P141 million worth of rice believed to be smuggled from Vietnam and which found its way to this city’s port.

At a hearing yesterday here, three farmers’ groups that were listed as consignees of the rice shipment denied that they sought permits to import the rice.

Representatives of the farmers groups—Ugnayan Magbubukid ng San Isidro, Pampanga (Ugnayan); Karapatan Takusa Multi-Purpose Cooperative Malipampang Concerned Citizen Inc. (Karapatan) and Samahan ng Magsasakang Kapampangan at Katagalogan (SMKK)—told the Bureau of Customs that they did not import the rice.

In the same hearing, a private firm surfaced to claim ownership of the shipment. Representatives of the firm Green Valley United Corp. told Customs officials at the hearing that the firm is the shipment’s owner although it is not listed as a consignee.

The shipment, consisting of 94,000 bags of Vietnam rice, arrived at the city port last Sept. 2. It was consigned to the National Food Authority on behalf of several farmers’ cooperatives that included the three groups that denied having any role in the importation.

A list of the consignees purportedly showed that 21,000 bags were for Ugnayan, 21,000 bags were for Karapatan and 18,000 bags were for SMKK. The three farmers’ cooperatives, however, denied that they were consignees of the rice shipment.

Only two of the farmers’ groups that are listed as consignees acknowledged the importation. They are the Sili Multi-Purpose Cooperative and the Samahan ng mga Kapampangan sa San Ildefonso. Representatives of the two groups claimed they have importation documents.

Also at the Customs hearing here, the lawyer of Ming Truong Shipping Lines, the agent that brought in the rice, filed a motion asking Customs officials to release the vessel used for the shipment, MV Minh Tuan 68, and discharge the rice cargo.

The Customs bureau had issued a warrant of seizure and detention that prevented the vessel from leaving the city port and prevented the release of the rice cargo.

The shipping company claimed that it has been incurring huge losses since the vessel was prevented from leaving the city port and kept docked there for more than a month now.

Christopher Inducil, lawyer and Customs hearing officer, said the Customs bureau would soon decide when to release the vessel. Inducil said the vessel was found to have complied with environmental laws after an inspection by the Philippine Coast Guard.

Inducil said the bureau would also decide on a request by those behind the rice shipment to transfer the venue of the hearing to the Customs office in Manila. A decision may be out on this matter by Nov. 8, according to Inducil.