Owner of raided rice warehouse accuses NFA exec of extortion

A rice trader from Bulacan whose warehouse was raided last month has accused a ranking official of the National Food Authority (NFA) of trying to extort P20 million from him.

 

Trader Jojo Soliman said NFA Administrator Arthur Juan offered to have his rice warehouse re-opened in exchange for P20 million.

 

Authorities raided Soliman's warehouse in July after the businessman was suspected of being engaged in illegally mixing animal feeds with commercial rice and selling them to the public.

 

"Nag-file po ako ng extortion case against NFA officials. I hope to achieve justice and we (should) follow ang gusto ni President Benigno Aquino III na daang matuwid," Soliman said in a report on "Balitanghali".

 

Soliman said Juan even mentioned the names of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization Francis Pangilinan.

 

Soliman said he has evidence to prove Juan's extortion attempt. Apart from Juan, his assistant, lawyer Patricia Galang, is also being dragged into the extortion mess.

'Baseless'

 

On Friday, both Juan and Galang denied the accusations, saying Soliman was merely trying to get back at them for the July 5 raid on his warehouse that led to the filing of criminal charges against the rice trader on July 30.

 

"They are baseless and mere fabrication. I am barely two months old in my office and in the span of two months I have brought a reform agenda to NFA, both inside and outside NFA," said Juan at a press conference.

 

"So I look at these allegations of Jojo Soliman as his of way of getting back at our reform agenda," he added.

 

For her part, Galang said she had only been at her job for a week when the raid in Bulacan happened and that she and Juan had only known each other also for that duration.

 

"It is completely untrue that we have done these things hurled against us. I also state that the alleged number used to extort is not mine," she said.

 

"The text messages allegedly sent from my number alluding to the said transaction, if ever there was one, is or are fabricated and my phone records will prove it. And once they are available, we will readily provide them," Galang said, adding she welcomes an investigation into the matter.

 

Pangilinan has thrown his support behind Juan, emphasizing that Juan secured his post at the NFA after being recommended by a search committee and the Management Association of the Philipines.

 

"Nakausap ko po ang lahat ng kasapi ng search committee kagabi at kaninang umaga at nagkakaisa sila sa pagkilala ng integridad ni Art Juan at hindi po sila naniniwala na maaaring gawin ni Mr. Art Juan ang ganitong klaseng mga paratang," said Pangilinan.

 

Pangilinan, a former senator, also said he has convinced Juan and Galang to stay at their posts despite the extortion claims.

 

"Hindi po tayo dapat pumayag na siya po ang mangingibabaw sa ganitong klaseng usapin. So kinumbinsi ko po ang dalawa na hindi magbitiw. Silang dalawa naman po ay pumayag," said Pangilinan.

 

"Ang sa atin lang, ang kanilang pagbibitiw or their offer to resign ay patunay na hindi sila interesado sa posisyon na ito at handa silang magbitiw kung kinakailangan. Hindi po sila kapit sa posisyon," he added. — JDS, GMA News