MANILA, Philippines — An inquiry of the Senate Committee of the Whole is being eyed to investigate the alleged “tongpats” (patong) scheme in the importation of pork, where kickbacks can supposedly reach up to P6 billion a year if a bid to lower the tariffs and increase import allocation on such products is approved.
“Sa araw na ito, magpa-file kami ng resolution, nagusap na kami ni Senate President [Vicente] Sotto, na para magkaroon ng imbestigasyon sa Senado. Sa pamamaraan lang na ‘yon, makakakuha kami ng mga dokumentong kailangan namin,” Senator Panfilo Lacson said in an interview over Teleradyo.
(Today, we will file a resolution, Senate President Sotto and I already talked…
Keep on reading: Senate probe eyed to ‘get to the bottom’ of ‘tongpats’ system in pork imports