Senate orders arrest of 3 people in alleged rice smuggling try in Subic

The Senate on Wednesday ordered the arrest of three people allegedly involved in a rice smuggling attempt in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.   Seventeen senators signed the arrest orders against Dexter Marfil of Masagana Import-Export Incorporated, Magdangal Diego Maralit Bayani III of St. Andrews Field Grains and Cereals Trading, and Protik Guha, chief executive officer of Indian company Amira Foods.   The senators had earlier said that foreign exporters and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) officials may have connived in smuggling 420,000 sacks of Indian rice and 90 container vans of Vietnam rice into the country through the freeport.   During the resumption of the Senate hearing on the issue on Wednesday, Senator Teofisto Guingona asked for the help of the Bureau of Immigration and the National Bureau of Investigation in locating the three, who had allegedly left the country.   "We should make the necessary coordination with the BI and tap the NBI so that we could have some assistance in ascertaining their whereabouts when they return to the country," he told the committee.   The Senate had earlier cited Marfil in contempt for his supposed failure to truthfully and candidly answer the questions of the senators on his alleged involvement in the importation of 90 container vans of Vietnam rice in a previous hearing.   The Senate legal counsel was also directed to file charges against him for violations of Articles 183 and 184 on false testimony of the Revised Penal Code and other probable violations of the RPC and special laws.   Bayani, on the other hand, refused to answer questions on his financing arrangements. He also did not attend three hearings of the committee. He was one of the importers who supposedly attempted to sell in the Philippine market 420,000 sacks of illegally imported white Indian rice.    The Senate, meanwhile, rejected Guha's motion to junk the contempt order earlier issued against him.   "Guha, through counsel, filed a motion for reconsideration before the committees to lift the order citing Guha in contempt of the Senate and ordering him arrested," the Senate said in a resolution.   "After a careful and thorough review of the case, we find no merit in the arguments presented before the committees, hence, the motion for reconsideration is denied, the [arrest] order is affirmed,” it added. — Amita O. Legaspi/KBK, GMA News