President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday ordered an investigation on the missing 23,015 sacks of smuggled rice in Zamboanga City, Malacañang said. “The President was visibly upset with the missing 23,015 sacks of smuggled rice in Zamboanga City,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing. Roque said Commissioner Isidro Lapeña told him that Zamboanga District collector Lyceo Martinez and Customs police district commander Filomeno Salazar have been relieved. Asked if the National Food Authoruty (NFA) and the Bureau of Customs were colluding over those missing sacks of rice, Roque said the possibility was there. “Investigation is ongoing but I think it’s obvious that because both agencies had some jurisdiction over the apprehended smuggled rice na parehong opisyales ng (officials from both) Customs at NFA probably have a liability for this,” he said.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer October 04, 2018 06:32 UTC