Senate to probe NFA shipment;
It may be for poll funds: Gordon
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Senator Richard Gordon yesterday said the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which he heads, will investigate the discovery of N-methylephedrine later said to beammonium sulfatein a shipment of 77,000 bags of National Food Authority rice fromVietnamto Bacolod Cityas it could bea move to raise funds for the elections.

Gordon, who was in Bacolod City,did not say whom he suspected of raising funds through the illegal importation, but said all large scale shipments by government, especially those by the NFA, in all ports should be investigated right away.

Gordon, who was briefed by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency head Dionisio Santiago on the shipment, said local authorities should keep a close watch on the rice that arrived in Bacolod to make sure that the misdeclared items that came with it are not switched.

“Something fishy”.

That was how Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Dionesio Santiago described Saturday the shipment of 77,000 bags of National Food Authority rice, that was found toinclude 48 bags of ammonium sulfate.

Dionesio, said the shipper may provide them a clue as to why bags of ammonium sulfate, also known as fertilizer,  was found with a rice shipment consigned to the NFA in Negros Occidental.

In an interview with Bombo Radyo Dionesio said the ammonium sulfate, which was earlier reported by the PDEA as N-methylephedrine, could be also used in the manufacturing of bombs

A road accident at the junction of Lacson and San Sebastian streets, Bacolod City, at about 11:15 p.m. Saturday left a City government employee dead.

The casualty was identified as Renaly Cordova, 54, of Purok 2 Cuadra Street, Brgy. Garanda, and employed at the City Register of Deeds, by Traffic Investigator Police Officer 3 Xavier Rama.

Rama said Cordova was on board his Suzuki Raider 110cc motorcycle with plate number 2038NT and was heading east of San Sebastian Street when a Suzuki multi-cab, that was heading towards north of Lacson Street, hit him.