Sen. Risa Hontiveros yesterday branded as “smoking gun” proof that high-ranking officials are behind the country’s latest sugar import fiasco with the release in the Batangas port of sugar from Thailand even without permits.
Hontiveros noted that Department of Agriculture (DA) Senior Usec. Domingo Panganiban issued memorandum dated Feb. 27, 2023, clearing the release of smuggled sugar.
Panganiban’s memo included the 240,000 metric tons of sugar consigned to All Asian Countertrade Inc. Hontiveros said the stocks of imported sugar entered the country with no proper permits and before a corresponding Sugar Order was issued by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) in violation of existing laws.
Hontiveros stressed that the DA memo spilled out the truth—the high officials behind the being created cartel and smuggling ring which supply the country’s sugar.
“We should not ignore this ‘smoking gun’ proof of government-sponsored sugar smuggling being coordinated at the highest levels of bureaucracy,” Hontiveros said.
The memo, Hontiveros further emphasized, explicitly included “the shipments to All Asian Countertrade Inc., which have arrived in the country” among the imported sugar to be released. According to Hontiveros, this is a reference to the shipment of sugar in 260 20-foot containers which reportedly arrived at the port of Batangas last February 9, 2023. The shipment, consigned to All Asian Countertrade Inc., lacked proper documentation.
“That’s the smoking gun – sila na mismo ang tahasang umamin, in black and white – that they were aware that shipments of sugar arrived in the country way before March 1, 2023, which is the earliest date the validly imported supply under Sugar Order No. 6 could reach our ports. Not only were they aware of those dubious shipments, they even wanted to clear them for release despite those shipments being obviously smuggled,” explained Hontiveros.
According to the senator, they cannot use Sugar Order No. 6 to get out of this fiasco.
“That order only took effect on February 15, 2023, while All-Asian’s sugar shipments already arrived in the country by February 9, 2023.”Since they had no proper permits, the senator insisted that those shipments should be considered as the subject of large-scale agricultural smuggling.
All Asian Countertrade Inc., Hontiveros pointed out, was one of the three trading firms “handpicked” by Panganiban to import the country’s supply of sugar, as admitted by DA official himself in a press conference last February 22, 2023.
Documents earlier signed by Panganiban – and which were revealed to the public by Hontiveros – said that the authority given to All Asian Countertrade were “as per instructions of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.”
“Last year, during the first sugar import fiasco, several agricultural officials were suspended and subjected to multiple investigations, “ related Hontiveros
Earlier, the senator filed proposed Senate Resolution No. 497 calling for a probe of the said controversy.
She said the Senate should immediately investigate the incident and prevent the formation of a “government-backed cartel” which will hoard the supply of sugar and manipulate sugar prices in the country.
She said the whole country is waiting for the Senate, through the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, to do their obligation.
“Let us not allow the DA to be a cartel organizer and our agricultural processes be loaded with kickbacks, contract-making and corruption.
If we don’t act, she warned that the prices of goods will no longer go down and the consuming public and families are the losers.