This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
‘Hindi naman siguro masamang maghanapbuhay ang pamilya ko, ‘di ba?’ Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco says, addressing conflict of interest allegations made against him during a DA budget hearing
MANILA, Philippines – Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco responded to allegations of conflict of interest after his family’s business was named as one of the top importers of galunggong (round scad).
“Hindi naman siguro masamang maghanapbuhay ang pamilya ko, ‘di ba? And ang main business ng pamilya ko is fishing,” Tiangco told reporters on Tuesday, September 16. (Is it bad if my family does business? And our main business is fishing.)
He went on to add that the fishing industry is actually against importations. The government imports fish to stabilize prices and supply.
“Kaya lang, ‘yun na nga, we were against importation, kaya lang walang magawa,” Tiangco said. (We were against importation but we can’t do anything about it.)
Navotas, the fishing capital of the Philippines, has been the Tiangcos’ stronghold for the past 20 years. Toby had been Navotas mayor since 2000, with his younger brother and incumbent Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco alternating with him since 2010.
During the budget hearing of the Department of Agriculture before the House committee on appropriations on Monday, September 15, Bicol Saro Representative Terry Ridon named the Tiangcos’ Trans-pacific Journey Fishing Corporation as one of the top importers of galunggong in September 2024.
When Ridon asked if he thought there was a conflict of interest regarding the Tiangcos’ fish import allocations and their positions, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said, “If you want me to really comment on that, I think they deserve what they are getting because they are the pinakamalaking ni-la-land talaga, e (they’re the ones who land the biggest volume of fish).”
TIANGCO BROTHERS. Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco and Congressman Tobby Tiangco secure reelection.
On Tuesday, Tiangco, instead, drew attention to Ako Bicol Representative Zaldy Co‘s attempt to get a total allocation of 3,000 containers of imported fish for three fishing companies.
“Pero ang pinakamalaking question doon was bakit si Zaldy Co, nanghihingi siya ng 3,000 containers?“ Tiangco said. “‘Yung (That) 3,000 containers, that is the allocation for three years of the whole industry.“
(But the biggest question here is why is Zaldy Co asking for 3,000 containers?)
This information on Co was divulged by Laurel during his agency’s budget hearing on Monday.
“We were being forced at that time to give him 3,000 containers of fish, which I did not agree,” Laurel said on Monday. Laurel himself is a fishing tycoon, the owner of Frabelle Fishing Corporation before divesting when he assumed the position of agriculture chief.
Co was the former chairperson of the House appropriations committee. He was also the co-founder of Sunwest Construction and Development Corporation, a business empire that secured huge government infrastructure projects, including flood control works, and supplied overpriced and outdated laptops for the Department of Education.
– Rappler.com
