Rice groups standing by embattled grains trader

RICE trader Jojo Soliman, who filed a P15-million extortion case against National Food Authority Administrator Arthur Juan and his special assistant, lawyer Patricia “Peegee” Galang, has gained support from various groups in the grains industry and from some NFA personnel.

A fellow trader, who goes by “Johnson Ariado” for fear of reprisals, on Tuesday said his group backs Soliman because “they believe in his credibility and that he would not do anything that would tarnish the image of Administrator Juan, unless he was forced to do so.”