Graft raps filed vs DA secretary

Graft charges were filed yesterday before the Office of the Ombudsman against Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. and four of his close aides for allegedly extorting money from a businessman.

Businessman Henry O, along with Consumer Union of the Philippines president Chino Marquinez, had accused the officials of being "involved in shady deals including harassing legitimate businessmen."

Lorenzo’s four aides charged with graft are anti-smuggling task force chief Benjie Angeles; lawyer Benjamin Tabios, special assistant for legal matters; assistant for finance Jesus Varela and special concerns assistant Jose Macaspac III.

O’s lawyer Bonifacio Alentajan said they were "constrained" to include Lorenzo in the lawsuit because of his "open defense of his close aides." He said the Department of Agriculture (DA) chief did not even bother to order an investigation into his client’s extortion complaint.

Alentajan said the group first received P3.4 million, P1.5 million of which was paid in cash while the remaining P1.9 million was issued in three checks. However, Lorenzo’s aides reportedly demanded P5 million more as "facilitation fee" for the DA to issue an "import permit" for vegetables coming from China.

He said the group "made it appear there was a ban" on vegetables and carrots so they could demand "additional money."

First Secretary Cheng Yingguo of the embassy of the People’s Republic of China, however, said "there is no such standing moratorium" in his letter to Lorenzo dated Oct. 8.

Alentajan also said his client is being harassed. Two container vans consigned to Asia Golden Luck, a company owned by O, were alleged to have contained century eggs and not carrots as declared.

O denied this, saying the export of century eggs is not allowed, but admitted there were indeed three boxes of eggs.

"Mr. O could not be held criminally liable for three small boxes of eggs," Alentajan said.

O had also complained that other importers’ container vans were released by the DA "without a hitch," especially after he exposed the alleged extortion activities of Macaspac, who reportedly said he is "engaged in public relations with Mr. Henry O."

Tabios, on the other hand, denounced O’s filing of graft charges against him and other agriculture officials.

He also said that the persons O said received money from him were no longer connected to Lorenzo’s office, even at the time they allegedly received the money.

"This man has the gall to accuse agriculture officials of graft after one of the shipments of his company was found to have been misdeclared for smuggling purposes after arrival in the port of Manila last Oct. 5," Tabios said in a statement.

The shipment was found by quarantine and customs officials to contain chicken eggs instead of carrots, Tabios said, noting that chicken eggs cost more than vegetables.

Tabios said that certain persons had approached Lorenzo earlier and demanded that the shipment be released, otherwise they will file charges against him and his men.

When Lorenzo refused to give in to their demands, O and his lawyers called a press conference and announced they will file graft charges against the DA chief and some of his men for alleged bribery, Tabios said.

"This is blackmail. But Secretary Lorenzo will not be derailed from pursuing his reforms in the DA, especially in his efforts to protect the interests of the vegetable growers and other farmers whose livelihoods are being threatened by the unscrupulous smuggling of vegetables and other agricultural products from foreign countries," he said.

Tabios said Lorenzo and other agriculture officials welcome the filing of charges against them because these charges "were merely trumped up to pressure the DA to allow the smuggling of vegetables and other agricultural products into the country."

He added that O was still expecting some shipments from China and by issuing threats, the importer allegedly wanted to pressure the DA into allowing the release of these shipments without going through an inspection.

"But we will not allow it," Tabios said.

Earlier, Lorenzo deplored efforts by certain quarters, hurt by the reforms he is implementing, to wage a "smear campaign."

"There seems to be some elements out there who maliciously ignore for a few pieces of silver, the tremendous gains we have achieved here in the interest of civil service and for the benefit of the Filipino people," he said.

Lorenzo and other agriculture officials have been very concerned over complaints by vegetable farmers from Baguio City and Benguet province that their products are being priced out of the domestic market by vegetables "smuggled from abroad."