DOJ to start hearing on rice smuggling case of Davidson Bangayan

Davidson Bangayan (in photo) a.k.a. David Tan. (File photo from Philippine Daily Inquirer)

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to start preliminary investigation of suspected rice smuggler Davidson Bangayan and his alleged conspirators.

The investigating panel, headed by Assistant State Prosecutor Eden Valdes, will start the hearing on Thursday after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Anti-Graft Division refiled its complaint on Sept. 5, 2017, two years after the Department of Justice returned to the bureau its original complaint filed in August 2014.

In the complaint, Bangayan was charged with monopolies and combinations in restraint of trade, as penalized under Article 186 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC); bid fixing, as penalized under Section 65 of the Government Procurement Act (Republic Act No. 9184); using fictitious name or concealing true name, as penalized under Article 178 of the RPC; and violation of Commonwealth Act No. 142, as amended by RA No. 6085.

The NBI filed the complaint upon the request of the Senate, through its Committee Report No. 763 (Committees on Agriculture and Food, Ways and Means, Trade and Commerce, and Accountability of Public Officers).

The committees alleged Bangayan and his co-accused of establishing a scheme to recruit rice farmers and organize them “for the purpose of acquiring substantial allocations on the PSF-TES importation program with the end goal of monopolizing the supply of rice.”

In the first charge, Bangayan’s co-respondents are Judilyne Lim, David Lim, and Leah Echiveria of Cebu-based DGL Commodities; Elizabeth Faustino; and Eleanor Rodriguez.

All were charged in the second complaint except for David Lim.

The other respondents in the other charges are Eugene Pioquinto, Mary Joyce Lim, Jason Colocado, Michael Villanueva, Denis Gonzales, Willy Sy, Sandra Lim, Gil Calipayan and Inigo Espiritu.

In its complaint, the NBI alleged that respondents conspired to use rice farmers “for the purpose of acquiring substantial allocations on the PSF-TES importation program [of the National Food Authority] with the end goal of monopolizing the supply of rice.”

“The aforementioned individuals conspired or agreed to organize the farmers cooperatives and organizations as well as other juridical personalities in order to monopolize the supply and distribution of rice thru pre-arranged bidding and other false pretenses thereby preventing free competition in the market,” the complaint said.

“With the acts of subject Bangayan and company, the other capable individuals were denied of their share on the allocation of the rice importation,” it noted. /atm