The Senate blue ribbon committee on Monday determined to defer its investigation into the alleged “state-sponsored” sugar smuggling as a result of absence of significant useful resource individuals, together with Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban Jr.
“Invoking the rules of this committee..and reiterating that the findings of this committee will not be based on speculations but on merits of the evidence that’s presented and not the weakness of the defense. Without the objections on the part of my colleagues this committee hearing is hereby postponed until further notice,” mentioned Sen. Francis Tolentino, chair of the blue ribbon committee.
In his opening assertion, Tolentino took discover of the absence of invited Cabinet secretaries, significantly NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan and Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual.
He likewise identified the “glaring absence” of Panganiban and David John Alba, the previous chief of the Sugar Regulatory Administration.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who was bodily current on the listening to to signify the Office of the President, defined that Panganiban is at present in Washington DC for an official mission and he shall be in another country till May 13.
Balisacan is at present in Vancouver, Canada till May 11, whereas Pascual is in Indonesia to attend a ministerial stage convention till May 11, he added.
“Hindi po natin mahahalukay po ang nilalaman nito kung wala po ‘yung mga nabanggit ko. So, they are vital to the investigation that this committee will be undertaking. Kaya mahihirapan po siguro tayong tumuloy kung wala sila,” Tolentino said.
(We cannot discuss this thoroughly without the presence of the people I mentioned. So, they are vital to the investigation that this committee will be undertaking. It will be difficult to continue without them.)
The Senate blue ribbon chairman also lamented how the hearing has now been postponed for the second time for the same reason.
“Nakakalungkot po ‘yan. Pangalawang hearing na po natin ito e. Sana ay masimulan na at matapos na…Ganunpaman, sa mga naririto magkakaron pa tayo ng susunod na pagdinig kasama ang mga nabanggit ko na wala ngayon,” he said.
(It’s the second time that this has happened. We could have already started and finished by now. For those who are here, we will have another hearing with those who are not here today.)
Asked by Tolentino if he can promise the committee that the absent officials from the Executive Department will attend the next committee hearing, Bersmin answered in the affirmative.
“Yes, I think so… We will exert effort to ensure the appearance of all the relevant resource persons this committee will require us, which this committee invites,” Bersamin said.
Tolentino also sought the help of the Office of the President in inviting Alba after he disclosed that he received a letter from the resigned SRA chief informing the committee that he cannot attend the hearing as he is in Australia until June due to personal reasons.
“I am just presuming, your honor, that he is being away in Australia, it must have been due to health reasons because he resigned from his position due to being in dire health condition. We tried to convince him to stay on, but he just wanted to undergo some processes. We cannot tell when he will be due but if his letter says he can return by June, I don’t see any motive why he is not going to seem right here after he arrives,” Bersamin mentioned.
Alleged irregularities
Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros earlier filed a proposed Senate Resolution 497 searching for a blue ribbon committee probe into the alleged irregular sugar importation final February 9 involving 260 20-foot containers of sugar from Thailand.
Hontiveros had mentioned that the February 9 shipments couldn’t have been lined by Sugar Order 6, because the allocation for this might solely begin on February 24. It was additionally not lined by earlier orders, because the earliest arrival date could be on March 1.
She mentioned Panganiban, who represented President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. within the Sugar Regulatory Administration Board, had a January 12 letter addressed to one of many alleged sugar importers of the questioned importation, saying the allocation was “per instruction of Executive Secretary [Lucas] Bersamin.”
Interpreting the memorandum issued by the Office of the Executive Secretary as an approval to proceed with the importation, Panganiban mentioned he instructed “three capable and accredited companies to proceed with the importation of sugar provided that they agree to reduce the prices of sugar.”
On March 2, the Department of Agriculture (DA) gave its go-signal for the discharge of the imported sugar that was flagged by Hontiveros as not lined by earlier sugar orders.
The go-ahead sign was issued by Panganiban “considering that allocations under Sugar Order No. 6, Series of 2022-2023 had been duly awarded, and considering further the Memorandum from the Office of the Executive Secretary dated January 13, 2023, and the Memorandum from the Office of the Senior Undersecretary of the Department Agriculture.”
Hontiveros additionally questioned the supposed “favored sugar importers”, whom she mentioned might achieve billions from sugar importation.
This isn’t the primary time that the Senate blue ribbon committee has been requested to analyze a difficulty associated to sugar importation.
In August final 12 months, the committee investigated the alleged unauthorized issuance of Sugar Order No. 4, which might have allowed the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar.
The Senate blue ribbon committee beneficial the submitting of administrative and legal costs in opposition to an Agriculture official and three former Sugar Regulatory Administration officers over the controversial SO No. 4. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
