Ombudsman to settle legality of imported sugar

MANILA, Philippines — The ombudsman will finally settle the legality of imported sugar smuggled last February after a graft case was filed on Monday against an agriculture undersecretary.?

In a radio interview, National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry-Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Council secretary general Anthony John Demisana said the case against Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban proves that small sugarcane farmers are aware of the current situation and “will not turn a blind eye.”

“We will not tolerate the actions of the officials of the government,” Demisana said.

Demisana’s group and the Alternatiba ng Masa party-list said Panganiban must be held liable for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The complainants said that large containers of refined sugar, allegedly owned by All Asian Countertrade Inc., arrived at Batangas Port without import permits.

Farmers are opposing the importation of sweeteners as they suffer from the flooding of imported sugar.

“The farmgate price of local sugar remains low but the retail prices of sugar in the market ranged from P80 to P100 per kilo,” Demisana explained.

He said sugar farmers are forced to sell their lands as they suffer losses due to the influx of imported sweeteners.

“Farmers are discouraged by the decrease in the farmgate price of sugar because of the flooding of imported sugar. The prices of fertilizer also remain high,” Demisana said.