Mayor Rodrigo Duterte branded as political harassment the recent raids by the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PSAG) on establishments owned by businessmen identified with him.
The PASG Thursday raided Felcris Sales, DIMDI San Pedro, DCLA Mall; Solid Asian Marketing Corp. (Samco); and 168 Mall.
Felcris Sales is owned by Larry Yap; DIMDI San Pedro is owned by Sammy Uy; DCLA Mall is owned by Ogie Uy ; Samco is owned by Boboy Bangayan; and 168 Mall is reportedly owned by friend of Councilor Paolo Duterte, the mayor’s son.
Representatives of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Renato Limit and Redentor Batinga, who were with the PASG told the Mirror that “DTI is always doing rounds to do inspection of products.”
Felcris is into groceries, while DIMDI sells appliances. DCLA and 168 buy and sell various local and imported goods from China, while Samco does copra trading.
In his television program yesterday, Duterte said that “they zero in on my friends. Nalo-oy ko sa akong friends.”
“Is copra now considered imported goods? We have our coconuts, we grow and produce them here while Bangayan exports it to other countries. So where is logic there? It is messy,” Duterte stressed.
Duterte admitted that “they have been my friends from college days. My brother Benjamin was the classmate of Sammy Uy and Larry Yap and Boboy Bangayan are my close friends from the time when we were still young, I’m wondering why they are now being subjected to political harassment.”
Duterte said the PASG operates with the know-ledge President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but he is wondering if the president has knowledge that the group is being used by a certain politician.
“Messy gyud. Ug wala silay makita they have to explain. If they found nothing during the raid, they must explain,” Duterte emphasized.
The PASG 11 is led by Chief Supt. Eduardo Matillano, who is reportedly close to Speaker Prospero Nograles.
Retired Philippine Army Col. Saturnino Obsioma, chief of PSG Davao who led the team told the Mirror: “I am just following the order, if they put political color into it, my conscience is clear, I just follow the order.”
The Mission Order issued by Matillano stated that the team has the authority “to effect arrest and confiscate goods/items if found illegally acquired.”
Uy in an interview with the Mirror however said that “the group did not have a search warrant. They only had a mission order.”
Uy said they welcomed the visit of PASG because it is their official function. “But if they are doing it because of politics, that’s another story because we operate here legally.”
Yap, for his part, said that when the raiding team entered Felcris-Sales, he allowed them to freely inspect. “Ako silang gipa inspect,” he said.
A businessman who refused to be identified said that “to some extent, we were given the impression that either we stop being friends of Duterte or befriend the Mayor’s political rival. Whatever (happens), the mayor will always be our friend.” |
