Senate issues arrest orders for 3 rice traders

MANILA, Philippines - The Senate has ordered the arrest of three rice traders for providing false testimony and failing to cooperate with the senators during their hearings on the alleged rice smuggling that took place in the Subic Bay Freeport in Zambales and Albay.
In separate orders signed by 18 senators, the Senate sergeant-at-arms was directed to arrest Jan Dexter Marfil of Masagana Food Import Export Inc. after being cited in contempt “for falsely testifying” before the Senate committees last Sept. 12.
Marfil was cited in contempt for claiming that he was not the owner of a shipment that arrived in the country last June 20, that he had no connection with the importation, that he did not have any importation in Subic, and for leaving the country without a written request that he would not be attending the Senate hearing in spite of a subpoena issued against him.
According to the order, Marfil would be detained at the office of the Senate sergeant-at-arms until he appears before the committees and answer questions about his involvement in the importation of 90 container vans of Vietnam rice.
The Senate legal counsel was also directed to file appropriate charges against Marfil for violation of Articles 183 and 184 of the Revised Penal Code on false testimony and other probable violations under the law.
An arrest order was also issued against Magdangal Diego Maralit Bayani III of St. Andrews Field Grains and Cereal Trading for refusing to answer questions on his financing agreements with his financiers in a number of committee hearings.
The third arrest order was issued against Indian Protik Guha, president and CEO of Amira Foods, after his motion for reconsideration against his arrest was denied by the Senate committees.
The Senate conducted its eighth hearing on the rice smuggling in the country the other day where former National Food Authority administrator Angelito Banayo testified that there was nothing irregular in the agency’s bidding for 380,000 metric tons of rice under the private sector-financed importation for this year.