Bangayan, David Tan are one—witnesses

MANILA, Philippines — “My name is Davidson Bangayan and I’m not David Tan.”

This was how Bangayan introduced himself Wednesday when he faced for the first time the Senate committee on agriculture and food that is hearing the rice smuggling in the country.

Also present at the hearing was Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, who informed the committee that the National Bureau of Investigation has the sworn statements of two witnesses, who identified Bangayan as “David Tan.”

De Lima did not name the two witnesses but said one witness claimed to have dealings with Bangayan involving “multi-purpose cooperatives” while another witness had linked him to “various modus-operandi” which the Justice Secretary described as forms of smuggling.

“Meron na pong dalawa na witnesses na lumantad at nag-execute na po sila ng sworn statements at sabi po nila, Davidson Bangayan is David Tan,” the Justice Secretary said.

The two witnesses, she said, detailed their dealings with Bangayan involving certain cooperatives.

One witness said Bangayan or Tan, who is also known for his initials  “DT,” used  “coordinators”  to  get to farmers’  cooperatives,  which   are  allowed to  participate  in the rice importation bidding of the National Food  Authority under the so-called Minimum Access   Volume  (MAV).

“DT,” De Lima said, would then pay for   the cooperatives’ license fee, bond and other documents required by the NFA and the Bureau of Customs.

“Si DT din daw po ang sho-shoulder ng mga air fares, and accommodations ng authorized representatives ng accredited cooperatives kapag magbi-bid na po or kapag meron na silang aktibidades in connection with the transactions with NFA,” she said, still quoting the witness.

A day before the bidding, these cooperatives “recruited” by   “DT” would troop to his office in Dagat-Dagatan in Caloocan to prepare and finalize their pre-qualifying documents, including their bid offer.

Justice Secretary Leila De Lima and Davidson Bangayan. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net

De Lima noted that the address mentioned by the witness was the same address used by Bangayan.

“At meron pong commission.  Allegedly, ang agreement ay P10 per bag commission will be given to the cooperative once the cooperative utilized by DT would win the local or old stocks bidding. At meron pong dagdag na P3 per bag incentive kapag nandyan na yung deal,” she said.

“And for import bidding, at P20 per bag is promised to the winning cooperative. In exchange for all these benefits, the cooperative would allow DT to use them as front…and DT would have a discretion on the sale and distribution of the imported rice,” she further said.

The second witness, De Lima said, detailed Tan’s “various modus operandi” which she described as “forms of smuggling.”

“Ang pagkaalam po nya (witness)  ay deklarado nila na hardware, construction materials, cement plywood pero ang totoo nito ay mga bigas po pala,” said de Lima.

Another scheme, she said was the “recycling” of import permits.

“Yung may hawak na permit ay hindi nagbibigay ng pre-arrival notice sa NFA, at kapag daw po naipalusot nila ang bigas, ay magagamit po muli yung permit at ang tawag daw po dyan sa ganyang modus ay yung recycling. Yung paggamit-gamit ng the same import permits. Ngunit kung mahuli ay ilalantad nila ang permit at natatakan na as ‘consumed,'” de Lima said.

But Bangayan strongly denied that he and “David Tan” are the same person as well as reports that he used that name when he filed a libel case against Federation of Philippine Industries Inc., president Jesus Arranza and four others in 2005.

He drew the ire of Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce-Enrile when he also denied that he used the name “David Tan” in a case involving a Singaporean and Indian.

“It is important for us to find out whether this gentleman is David Tan or Davidson Bangayan because we’re dealing with smuggling…so we have to unmask who is this gentleman,” Enrile said.

He then asked Bangayan if he had been involved in a case involving a Singaporean and Indian. And when the latter said yes, Enrile asked again if he had identified himself as Davidson Bangayan aka David Tan in that case. Bangayan answered no.

“Oh come on,” Enrile said.  “Nangsisinungaling ka rito, e.”

Before this, Bangayan told the committee that he is in general trading, like metal, agriculture products and other commodities but he was never involved in “smuggling.”

“Totoo bang smuggler ka?” Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada asked.

“No, your honor,” Bangayan said.

And when Estrada rephrased his previous question, Bangayan said: “Inuulit ko po hindi po ako smuggler.”

Bangayan though admitted that he participates in the bidding of rice importation and later formed a “joint venture with certain farmers cooperatives.

Responding to Senate Majority Leader Alan Cayetano’s whether he was using cooperatives or famer groups to participate in the bidding for rice importation, Bangayan said: “I think, your honor, some… pero seldom.”

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Originally posted: 12:21 pm | Wednesday, January 22nd, 2014