Banayo says rice smuggling allegations baseless

MANILA, Philippines - Former National Food Authority (NFA) administrator Angelito Banayo accused yesterday the head of a farmers’ group of maligning his name in linking him to an anomalous rice deal when he headed the agency.

During a Senate hearing last Monday, Simeon Sioson of 4 San Miguel Agri Venture Multi-Purpose said Banayo had given preferential treatment to some accredited cooperatives in the rice importation business. 

In an email to Sen. Francis Pangilinan, Senate committee on agriculture chairman, Banayo said Sioson’s allegations were baseless.

“NFA records will show that Mr. Sioson is someone who consistently took part in all NFA activities for farmers,” he said. “When he would lose in a bidding, he is the first to whine.”

The Senate is investigating the alleged smuggling of 450,500 50-kilogram packs of rice at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority last April.

Sioson told Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada that Banayo had favored a group of cooperatives.

“Mr. Banayo is only protecting the group of Ms. Elizabeth Faustino,” he said.

“There were several instances of allocation for the federation - resulting in divide and rule.”

Banayo said he is “saddened and angered” that Elizabeth  Faustino, a representative of a federation of cooperatives, had maligned and maliciously dragged the name of the late Nixon Kua to the alleged rice smuggling in Subic.

“Clearly certain groups have taken advantage of the recent death of Mr. Kua, for how indeed could a dead man defend himself or shed light on the matter,” he said.

“Also why bring his name out only now after months of this Senate investigation. Whoever is using Mr. Sioson could be motivated by political vendetta and/or commercial reasons.

“I can only think of former NFA officials and rice traders who were the subject of an audit report in 2010 the results of which were submitted to Malacañang and forwarded to the Office of the Ombudsman for proper disposition.”