House to probe use of CDO in smuggling of weapons

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives is set to conduct an inquiry into reports that the Cagayan de Oro port has been used for trafficking of firearms that involved a California senator.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez filed a resolution calling on the House committees on public order and safety, and ways and means to conduct the inquiry into reports of arms smuggling that implicated California senator Leland Yee.

Rodriguez also urged officials of the Bureau of Customs, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces and possibly representatives from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other agencies and entities to shed light on and resolve the issue.

Yee was arrested on March 26 on charges that he conspired to traffic in firearms purportedly coming from a Muslim rebel group in Mindanao, and traded favors for bribes.

Yee, who pleaded not guilty, allegedly brokered a $2- million firearms deal with an undercover FBI agent between Jan. 22 and March 14 where the weapons were to be purchased from a Mindanao-based arms dealer, with a certain Filipino-American Wilson Sy Lim being named as the senator’s liaison.