DOJ approves perjury raps vs Bangayan

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday approved the filing of perjury case against suspected rice smuggler Davidson Bangayan.

Bangayan has been tagged by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) as the “David Tan” involved in rice smuggling in the country.

Perjury charges were filed against him before the Manila Metropolitan Trial Court.

A preliminary investigation conducted by Prosecutor Loverhette Jeffrey Villordon showed that Bangayan lied under oath during a Senate investigation on rice smuggling.

“Undeniably, respondent was conscious of the fact that his statements, given during the hearings of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, were false. He knew fully well that he had previously signed a document under oath, which states that he is David Tan, and yet he denied this when questioned by the committee,” Villordon said in a 13-page resolution.

Prosecutor General Claro Arellano approved the resolution.

The case against Bangayan stemmed from the complaint of lawyer Horace Cruda, secretary of the Senate panel, who said that the businessman violated Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code for providing false testimony during the Senate hearing on rice smuggling.

Eleven senators, led by committee on agriculture and food chairman Sen. Cynthia Villar, signed the complaint. Senate President Franklin Drilon endorsed it.

Cruda, in his complaint, said that despite taking an oath to tell the truth before the Senate panel, Bangayan “deliberately and willfully” made falsehoods or evasions in his assertions that he was not David Tan.

In his counter-affidavit, Bangayan said that the case against him should be dismissed since not all the elements of perjury were present in the case.

He said that apart from Cruda’s self-serving and baseless conclusion, the complainant failed to show any proof of malicious willfulness and deliberateness of the respondent in making his statements.

The DOJ did not give credence to his denial.

It pointed out that Bangayan knew fully well that he had previously signed a complaint-affidavit, which stated that he is Tan.