Congressman Eric Yap not in Senate’s ‘Smugglers’ List
Vows to stake even own life to protect Filipino farmers
EFFORTS by the political opponents of Benguet ‘caretaker’ congressman, Eric Go Yap, to besmirch his reputation by linking him to the smuggling of vegetable products has completely backfired after his name did not appear in the supposed ‘Smugglers’ List’ disclosed by Senate President Vicente Sotto III in the last hearing of the Senate on smuggling held before the advent of Holy Week.
Yap, chair of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations, attended the hearing virtually held on April 12, 2022 and called on the Senate and the resource persons invited and the officials from the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), to release the names of government officials reportedly engaged in smuggling or of giving protection to smugglers.
Yap issued the challenge as he bewailed that his political opponents in Benguet are maliciously linking his name to the smuggling of agricultural products that has adversely affected the livelihood of Benguet farmers.
But in the list released by Sotto, the names mentioned were: Manuel Tan, Andrew Chang, Jude Diamante and Luz/Leah Cruz, the latter being tagged as the ‘Onion Queen,’ over her alleged penchant to smuggle red onions into the country.
The importation of red onions is highly-regulated due to its adverse impact to local growers.
According to Sotto, Tan operates out of the Port of Subic, Cagayan de Oro and the Port of Batangas; Chang, thru Subic, Manila International Container Port (MICP), Port of Manila (POM) and Batangas; Cruz at the MICP and Cagayan de Oro; and, Diamante at the Port of Cagayan de Oro.
Sotto’s information was confirmed by Edcel Batalla, director of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), who added that currently, they have compiled a list containing “more than 20 names” of smugglers “including their protectors in government.”
Batalla, however, stressed that what they have thus far are “raw information” and the names listed “need to be validated.”
Yap willing to take risk to identify smugglers
During his turn to speak, Yap asked the DA and BOC representatives, DA Assistant Secretary Federico Laciste and Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, respectively, to name government officials calling up their offices for the release of any shipment.
“Nananawagan po ako sa DA, Customs, na ilabas ang pangalan ng mga tumatawag para ‘umarbor’ ng shipment,” Yap said.
Yap also volunteered to use his legislative immunity as a member of Congress– and to even stake his own life– in naming those engaged in agricultural smuggling.
Yap made the offer on behalf of whistleblowers who are fearful of naming smugglers for fear of their own safety.
“Kung natatakot sila, I will take the challenge.
“Sabihin nila sa akin sino ‘yang mga tumatawag sa kanila (government officials)…I will fight for our farmers…not only in Benguet but for all the farmers of the Philippines.
“‘Yung buhay ko ibuwis ko para sa kanila…kung ako ay mapatay nila, I will not care,” Yap said.
“Kung sila ay natatakot mag-expose, sabihin nila sa akin and I will be the one to expose them (here) in the Senate and I am sure, wala po tayong katatakutan.
“Lahat ng mabibigat na pangalan, sasabihin po natin yan. Kailangan lang po, i-validate nila.”
He also bewailed that some quarters, especially his political opponents, are injecting politics into the issue of vegetables smuggling.
“Kailangan magkaisa tayo, hindi dapat hinahaluan ng pulitika ang hearing,” he added.
Yap also confirmed to Sotto that as far back as November 2021, even before the start of the Senate hearing on vegetable smuggling the following month, he had already asked the House Committee on Agriculture and Food to exercise its oversight function and immediately launched an investigation on the issue in answer to the pleas of his constituents from Benguet (see also Pinoy Exposé article, April 1, 2022).
“Tumatawag (din) po ako kay Comm. Guerrero para humingi ng tulong para magpahuli ng magpahuli ng mga smugglers.
“Ang aksyon naman ni Comm. Guerrero is, every time tumatatawag ako sa kanya, mayroon naman pong mga nahuhuling mga smuggler, sa Subic, Divisoria,” the solon added.
