Senator Cynthia Villar alleged that Senate President Vicente Sotto III did not notify her as head of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, when the Committee of the Whole was formed to investigate the alleged rampant vegetable smuggling complained of by local farmers.
As the committee’s hearing resumed Tuesday, Villar criticized the non-invitation of ACT-CIS Party-List Representative Eric Go-Yap, caretaker of Benguet’s congressional district, which is among the provinces with farmers complaining that their harvest income was affected due to widespread imported vegetables.
Earlier, the League of Association and the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Areas criticized Yap for allegedly not taking action on the ongoing vegetable smuggling.
The legislator’s name was also mentioned in the previous hearing as one of the officials allegedly involved in the smuggling.
“Congressman Eric Yap… he said he wanted to attend the meeting, but they don’t want to invite him. So please clarify that with the committee,” said Villar.
But according to Sotto, there was no formal request for him to invite the congressman.
“Well, there is a difference between ‘ayaw imbitahin’ and ‘hindi naimbita.’ We have not received any request from him to be invited,” Sotto explained.
Sotto, Villar clash during vegetable smuggling probe
But according to Villar, Yap should have been invited as a “courtesy” because he is currently a member of the House of Representatives, and his name was mentioned in the previous hearing.
He said Yap could be invited and attend the hearing via video conferencing.
But Sotto explained that they did not receive any information that Yap wanted to be invited to the hearing.
“We can invite him. Hindi naman ho nakarating sa amin. Walang nagsabi sa committee na gusto niyang umattend…At ‘yung ayaw siyang imbitahin ay iba ‘yung hindi siya inimbita…Hindi totoo ‘yung ayaw siyang imbitahin. I hope nobody claims that kasi wala naman kaming sinasabing bawal dito e,” said Sotto.
“Besides, if Congressman Eric Yap wanted to be invited, he should inform the Committee of the Whole, not a member,” the Senate leader added.
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