Duterte faces Senate today on rice smuggling

DAVAO CITY , Philippines   – Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is set to appear before a Senate inquiry on rice smuggling today.  Duterte yesterday said he has been invited to attend the hearing of the Senate committee on agriculture to shed light on certain issues affecting the rampant smuggling of rice into the country.  Sparks are expected to fly as Justice Secretary Leila de Lima is also expected to attend today’s Senate inquiry.  Duterte and De Lima have been at loggerheads over how the investigation on an alleged rice smuggling suspect has been handled by the Department of Justice (DOJ).  Duterte lamented how the De Lima has been slow in filing a case against one Davidson Bangayan, also known as David Tan, suspected to be the rice smuggling king of the country.  Bureau of Internal Revenue chief Kim Henares had earlier asked Duterte’s help to curb rice smuggling here as the Davao port has been identified as one of the ports of entry of smuggled rice.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/02/03/1286002/duterte-faces-senate-today-rice-smuggling