By Macon Araneta
Senators on August 23 took turns grilling resigned Department of Agriculture (DA) Sec. Leocadio Sebastian on the unauthorized issuance of Sugar Order (SO) number 4 to import 300,000 metric tons of sugar.
Facing the first Blue Ribbon committee hearing on the privilege speech of Senate President Migz Zubiri on “Fiasco Behind Sugar Order number 4,” senators pressed Sebastian on his reason for signing the controversial order.
Some senators also demanded from Sebastian the “forces” behind SO number 4.
Earlier, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. rejected SO number 4 as he did not authorize its release.
Executive Sec. Victor Rodriquez confirmed to the committee chaired by Sen. Francis Tolentino that Marcos did not give the authority to release the sugar order.
Marcos also sits as chairperson of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
Rodriguez described as “unfair and dishonorable” the signing of SO number 4 without the authority from President Marcos. He also pointed out Marcos has no knowledge about It.
He recalled they were in a meeting in Malacañang last August 10 when they learned that Sebastian passed a resolution approving SO number 4 without the knowledge of President Marcos.
He said the resolution was also approved without submitting to them the import plan and without even convening the board of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
Marcos then instructed Rodriquez to make sure that the SO number 4 would not come out and would have “no force and effect.”
Rodriguez also remembered that on August 5, they got a memo from Sebastian containing the recommendation to import 300,000 MT of sugar.
The resigned agriculture official sent two text messages on August 7 and August 8 to him, asking about sugar and fertilizer for farmers.
According to Rodriguez, he “purposely” did not respond to the queries because there was no decision at that time.
In defending his action, Sebastian said he thought everything was ok with President Marcos when he failed to receive any respond to his briefing on the alarming “rise in the price of sugar and its diminishing supply.”
Zubiri also refuted the claim of SRA about a looming sugar shortage, citing the several raids done in Quezon City, Laguna, Bulacan and Pampanga, which yielded thousands of tons of sugar.
He also questioned if SRA was driving a shortage as they hoarded sugar for price manipulation.
He likewise noted the volume of confiscated sugar would not be enough for household and commercial needs.
He also mentioned around 120,000 metric tons of unreleased sugar in warehouses. Zubiri showed photos and videos of warehouses and container vans full of sugar.
Sebastian justified the importation, saying the country’s monthly consumption of raw sugar is 170,000 metric tons and 85,000 metric tons of refined sugar. He also said there is a deficit of over 200,000 metric tons of raw sugar.
According to the data from SRA and DA, Sebastian said there will be a deficit of 212,000 metric tons for raw sugar even if milling started in September and October.
When Sen. Raffy Tulfo confronted him, Sebastian reiterated he signed the order based on memorandum issued by Rodriguez.
“There was nobody who pushed me or pressured me on this matter. I signed for the Secretary of Agriculture based on the authority that was given to me on July 15, 2022,” said Sebastian.
“The memo states that I can sit as ex-officio chair of boards, committees, etcetera of any government agency where the secretary of agriculture is a member. The SRA board is one those boards where the secretary of agriculture sits as ex-officio,” he added.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros questioned the involvement of the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) regarding the ‘unauthorized’ sugar order.
She echoed the sentiments of netizens that there seems to be a “disconnect” between Malacañang’s claim that Rodriguez had no prior knowledge of the SO number 4.
She said as early as August 5, a draft of the SO number 4 was already submitted to Sebastian.
Hontiveros also found it “puzzling” why the OES acted as if it was the first time they heard of the memorandum when it was revealed that they were in the loop.
Rodriguez made an opening statement at the BRC hearing but immediately excused himself afterwards. This prompted Hontiveros to file a motion to recall him in the next hearing as many questions remained unanswered.
Hontiveros then reiterated her call to immediately appoint a competent Agriculture secretary who would focus on preventing a looming sugar supply crisis.
