LIVE: Senate Blue Ribbon holds third hearing on sugar fiasco
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is set to continue its inquiry into the supposedly unauthorized importation of sugar on September 6.
To recall, the controversy stems from Sugar Order No. 4 or SO4, which would have authorized the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar into the country to bridge a deficit that has been pushing up the local prices of the sweetener.
The Palace eventually rejected the order, saying President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. never signed off on the directive.
At the twin Senate hearings on the issue, former Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian defended the order by pointing to a memo issued by Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez allowing him to sign agriculture-related documents on the president's behalf.
He said that consultations with industry stakeholders found that many were concerned about the incoming deficit in sugar, which they said could be offset by the importation of 300,000 metric tons.
Rodriguez admitted he never responded when Sebastian presented the drafted order to him, which prompted Sebastian to sign it on his own in order to avoid what he said was a sugar crisis.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said that the Bureau of Customs' findings of hoarded sugar in warehouses around the country were proof that the perceived sugar shortage was "artificial."
The latest hearing also saw the former agriculture secretary and resigned Sugar Regulatory Administration chief Hermenegildo Serafica saying President Marcos was initially receptive to the proposal to import sugar.
Other industry groups also recommended the amount of 300,000 metric tons of sugar in their separate written recommendations addressed to the department.
Watch the third hearing of the Senate inquiry LIVE, which will start at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022.
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