The former chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) on Monday denied issuing permits for the importation of pork products from countries affected by African swine fever (ASF) despite the existence of several memorandum orders banning the issuance of such permits.
Lacson: Committee of the Whole Best Suited to Handle DA Tong-pats Probe
Convening the Senate into the Committee of the Whole will be needed to tackle the wide scope of the problems involving the tong-pats mess at the Department of Agriculture, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Wednesday.
Lacson said the issues stemming from the mess include food security and a revisiting of the Food Safety Act of 2013 (RA 10611); foregone revenues; and public health. I am recommending that the Senate convene into a Committee of the Whole to handle the investigation. The tong-pats mess has an impact on foregone revenue and corruption, food security, and health. The Committee of the Whole is best suited for this, instead of having the Blue Ribbon Committee and Committees on Agriculture, Ways and Means and Health handle it separately, he said.
Senate OKs reso calling probe into food security crisis, ‘tongpats’ on pork imports
Published March 17, 2021 4:59pm By ERWIN COLCOL, GMA News The Senate on Wednesday adopted a resolution calling on the Committee of the Whole to conduct an investigation into the food security crisis in the country brought about by the African swine fever (ASF) problem. During the resumption of its session, the chamber adopted Senate Resolution 685, which also urges the Committee of the Whole to look into allegations of tongpats, or padded costs on pork imports from which unscrupulous individuals within the Department of Agriculture (DA) could earn at least P6 billion.
Senator Panfilo M. Lacson
(SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
‘’This does not speak well of the oft-repeated threat of President Duterte and his supposed strong stand against corruption in government,’’ Lacson pointed out.
‘’Lip service cannot solve our country’s problems. Decisive action does,’’ he added.
Lacson unleashed these jabs as he continues issuing statements related to his ‘’tong pats’’ (commission) expose against a possible multi-billion-peso corruption at the Department on Agriculture (DA) on an impending pork importation.
Lacson said everything and everybody who might have been responsible would be included in the investigation by the Senate convened as a Committee of the Whole (COW).
Press Release - PRIB: Senate forms Committee of the Whole to investigate pork import tong-pats senate.gov.ph - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from senate.gov.ph Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.