Monday, April 07, 2008 Nalzaro: Apology needed By Bobby Nalzaro Saksi
IT’S good that the raid conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 on the warehouse owned by businessman Regan King where 30,000 bags of imported rice were discovered did not result to injuries or loss of lives because of wrong information. Unlike their botched drug operation several years ago when NBI agents and their civilian assets strafed the vehicle boarded by employees of the Plantation Bay Resort, which they mistook to be owned by a drug suspect.
The public will never forget that “massacre.” It’s unfortunate that the victims of that incident are still seeking justice as the case is still pending before the court. Some NBI agents who were involved in that operation are still in active service, enjoying protection from their superiors. One of them is Agent Arnel Pura, who was the one who applied for a search warrant used by the bureau in raiding King’s warehouse.
The NBI and the National Food Authority (NFA), which jointly conducted the raid, are washing their hands. The NBI said it was just acting on the information it received from the NFA that the warehouse used by King as storage is not accredited by NFA. It seems the NFA has been sleeping on the job. The Kings have been in the business for quite sometime. Why claim now that the warehouse is not accredited by its house.
Former Cebu International Ports Authority general manager Mariano C.J. Martinez owns the warehouse, which was leased by Jolli Traders, a company owned by King and accredited by the NFA. So where’s the violation there? As far as the importation was concerned, it was all aboveboard because no less than the Bureau of Customs (BOC) testified that it was legal. The stocks are under its (BOC) control and being closely monitored because of the ongoing inventory.
NBA 7 Director Medardo de Lemos dismissed criticisms that there was no coordination between his office and the NFA, saying it was the NFA that provided them the information. Oh, come on, you’re blaming the other agency to escape from the controversy. Granted there was coordination with NFA, but did you bother to check the information?
If your agents are bright enough, they could have checked and double-checked the information provided by another inept agency. Did your people make extra effort to verify the authenticity and validity of the information they received about King’s importation business? Did you verify from the BOC, Philippine International Trading Corp. and any other agency, which has jurisdiction over rice importation?
Or you were just too hot to act on unverified information because you wanted to ride on the much-publicized rice shortage issue for publicity purposes? I hope it’s for publicity not for anything else. I received information that some of your agents have been calling the Kings and reportedly trying to extort money. I challenge de Lemos to check on this information if he wants to cleanse his bureau from unscrupulous agents. Who is protecting Indian nationals engaged in the lending business here? I am sure the director knows who among his agents is the protector.
We cannot blame Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Fortunato De Garcia for issuing a search warrant. Judges don’t leave their sala to check on the validity of the information from the agents or law enforcers who apply for a warrant. There is always that presumption of regularity in the application and issuance of a warrant. Sometimes judges are misled by government agents. Search warrants are used by corrupt government agents for their personal interest, like extorting money from their supposed subjects. To make their illegal activity legal.
Now, de Lemos said it’s up to the court to decide on the matter. Ganoon lang ba, sir? Bahala na ang korte sa kapalpakan ninyo? If I were Regan King I should file a case for damages against those government agencies that raided his warehouse or demand an apology. Ka maayo pakungon ning NBI ug NFA.
