Bangayan denies lying under oath on his identity

By: Tetch Torres-Tupas - 11 years ago

Davidson Bangayan (in photo) aka David Tan INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Businessman Davidson Bangayan on Wednesday denied lying under oath about his identity during a congressional investigation on rice smuggling.

Bangayan appeared before the Department of Justice (DoJ) along with his counsel Atty. Alejandro Ovenas and submitted his counter-affidavit on the perjury raps filed against him by the Senate Committee on Agriculture.

The DoJ, through Prosecution Attorney Loverhette Jeffrey Villordon will conduct the preliminary investigation.

Bangayan, however need not appear as he has already submitted and subscribed to his affidavit.

Last month, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) seized Bangayan, with the belief that he is David Tan, in connection with a pending case before the Caloocan City Regional Trial Court for the violation of Republic Act 7832 or the Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act. He immediately released after they produced documents showing that he was not Tan.

However, Bangayan was rearrested after the Caloocan Court granted after the DoJ and NBI submitted additional evidence to show that Bangayan and Tan are one and the same person.

Senate agriculture committee chairwoman Cynthia Villar said her panel decided to cite Bangayan for contempt after he repeatedly denied being David Tan despite court records showing otherwise.