Senate probe on 'Sugar Fiasco 2.0' may start next week — Tolentino
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate Blue Ribbon committee may begin next week its investigation into the allegedly irregular importation of 440,000 metric tons of sugar into the country ahead of the implementation of a sugar order allowing this.
The panel’s chairperson, Sen. Francis Tolentino, told reporters on Tuesday that the probe will “likely” start next week, but did not give an exact date, only saying that they will find out by Wednesday.
The initial hearing scheduled last week was postponed to an undetermined date "in view of the foreign official trips and therefore the non-availability of several important resource persons."
Tolentino said this included Department of Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, who authorized the importation of sugar into the country ahead of the effectivity of Sugar Order No. 6.
The senator added that there were a lot of developments at the Sugar Regulatory Administration, like Domingo’s appointment as its officer-in-charge and then the appointment of Pablo Luis Azcona as its acting administrator and chief executive officer.
What is certain for now is that Tolentino is requiring Panganiban and other SRA officials to attend the investigation, which was prompted by a resolution filed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros who called the sugar importation “government-sponsored smuggling.”
Tolentino added that Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who issued on January 13 a memorandum that Panganiban interpreted to be a greenlight to proceed with importing sugar, may be invited as well, depending on the position papers submitted by other resource persons.
Contrary to Hontiveros’ assertions, Panganiban has insisted that his actions were aboveboard, saying in February that he “acted with haste and interpreted the memorandum issued by the Office of the Executive Secretary as an approval to proceed with the importation.”
Hontiveros has called on Panganiban to be preventively-suspended from his post pending an investigation into what she called the "Sugar Fiasco 2.0.”
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