Senate panel orders filing of perjury raps vs 'David Tan'

MANILA, Philippines - The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food on Monday cited for contempt businessman Davidson Bangayan for supposedly lying that he was not "David Tan," the country's alleged rice smuggling king.

Sen. Cynthia Villar, agriculture committee chairperson, declared this after there were no objections to the motion of Senate minority floor leader Juan Ponce Enrile that Bangayan be held in contempt.

Senator JV Ejercito seconded Enrile's motion.

"We will hold in contempt for lying before the committee Mr. Davidson Bangayan," Villar said during the televised hearing.

Villar clarified that the Upper House will not arrest Bangayan, but she directed the Senate legal counsel to file perjury charges against Bangayan before Friday for lying under oath.

The committee chair also asked the Department of Justice to put Bangayan on its watchlist and the Depatrment of Foreign Affairs to cancel the businessman's passport.

Bangayan was also cited for contempt after Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte testified at the Senate hearing.

Duterte pointed to Bangayan and reiterated that the businessman is "no doubt" David Tan.

"As a matter of fact, this guy -- he might be Davidson Bangayan -- has been using that alias ever since. And on top of that, he's been committing a crime," Duterte said.

He said Bangayan was the same person in David Tan's photo that was provided to him by the intelligence community.

Earlier, Enrile moved that Bangayan should be held in contempt after the businessman once again denied that he and David Tan are just the same person.

"Alam mo naawa ako sayo. Binibigayan kita ng pagkakataon. Hindi lang ito ang ebidensya na ikaw si David Tan," Enrile told Bangayan.

"Maawa ka sa sarili mo... Sa mga hearing ng Senado, may mga reglamento dito na hindi ka pwede magsisinungaling. 'Pag nagsinungaling ka, mapipilitan kami na pasurahan ka ng contempt," Enrile added.

Enrile made his motion after showing an affidavit executed by Bangayan in a 2005 libel case in which the businessman supposedly referred to himself as "David Tan," the country's alleged rice smuggling king.

But Bangayan dismissed this allegation, saying he only signed the affidavit as "Davidson Bangayan" and not "also known as David Tan."

"That is based on the complaint on the newspaper. Maybe my lawyer did not, at that time, correct it," Bangayan said.

Bangayan's denial irked Enrile, who said that there are other pieces of evidence that would prove that Bangayan and Tan are the same person.

"Kung ayaw mo [umamin], magpapadala kami ng sangkatutak na ebidensya na ikaw si David Tan," Enrile told Bangyan. "Ikaw lang iyon, walang iba."

The Senate hearing is still ongoing as of writing time.