Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday hinted at the possible filing of administrative and criminal charges against Senior Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban over the irregular importation of 260 20-foot containers of sugar from Thailand.
Hontiveros issued the statement following Panganiban’s admission that he proceeded with the immediate importation of sugar as he considered a memorandum released by the Office of the Executive Secretary as a directive to import sugar.
Hontiveros questioned anew the Department of Agriculture’s “handpicked” companies which imported tons of sugar country, saying this was how cartels were formed.
Hontiveros said importing 450,000 metric tons of sugar can be considered an economic sabotage.
“Ayon sa batas, sa Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, bawal ang pagpasok sa bansa ng asukal na hindi bababa sa P1,000,000 ang halaga, at walang tamang permit,” she explained.
“Kaya sa pag-amin kahapon ni Department of Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban na sila ang namili at nag-utos sa tatlong kompanya na mag-import, sana ay handa silang humarap sa mga seryosong kasong kriminal at administratibo,” she added.
Hontiveros further said only the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), not Panganiban on his own, has the authority to issue permits and licenses like sugar orders to import the commodity under the SRA charter.
“Pitong buwan na mula nang mabulgar ang sugar import fiasco, bagong fiasco ulit? Sino na naman ang nag-utos niyan? Sino at ano ang nag-udyok sa kanila na gawin ang ika niya ay “hasty decision na yan?” Hontiveros inquired.
“Once, and for all, para mapanatag naman ang mga consumers, nananawagan ako kay Presidente: lagdaan na nila ang isang maayos na sugar order na hawig sa mga dating sugar orders na pangmaramihang importers,” she added.
The SRA recently released an order authorizing the importation of 440,000 metric tons of refined sugar even without the signature of President Ferdinand “Bongbong”Marcos Jr., who sits as chairman of the SRA Board in his capacity as Secretary of Agriculture.
Sugar Order No. 6, uploaded on the SRA website, showed that the document was transmitted to the Office of the President on Feb. 9, 2023.
The document was signed by SRA administrator David John Thaddeus Alba and board members Mitzi Mangwag and Pablo Luiz Azcona.
Panganiban also signed the document.
Hontiveros said sugar prices will not be fair if the SRA will not follow the law.
“Bakit mistulang gobyerno na mismo ang bumuo ng tatlong kompanya ang magdidikta ng presyo ng asukal para sa Pilipinas? Kung tutuusin at hindi dadaan sa cartel, pwedeng pababain ng 440,000 metric ton ng validly imported na asukal ang presyo ng asukal sa ating bansa pabalik sa P60 kada kilo,” she said.
Last Tuesday, Hontiveros called for an investigation into the Feb. 9 arrival of 260 20-foot containers of sugar from Thailand, which she said were not covered by sugar orders.
Hontiveros said Panganiban—who represented Marcos in the SRA board had a Jan. 12 letter addressed to one of the importers saying that the allocation was “per instruction of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.”
The SRA through Azcona said it was currently validating Hontiveros' claims, and that the supposed letter from
Panganiban needed to be validated for the agency to give its reaction.
Azcona claimed that the DA was “allowed to do importation as well.”
He added however that "if the letter is valid then we have to sit down with the people concerned and ask why such a letter exists and what the program is all about.”
Hontiveros had said Marcos and Bersamin could shed light on the alleged government-sponsored sugar smuggling.
Hontiveros said it would not be a bad idea for the President, as concurrent DA secretary, would speak out on the latest issue on the controversy.
She said the President might even help to avoid a recurrence of the incident.
“Imagine, three companies alone—which were handpicked—were given the go signal to import all of the sugar supply needed by the entire country,” she said.
“Isn’t this highly questionable? Isn’t this how cartels are formed? How can this be anything but “government-sponsored smuggling?” also asked Hontiveros.
“How can the price of sugar finally go down and be fair to consumers when the SRA’s mandate and existing laws are being brazenly ignored? Why is the government seemingly enabling three companies to dictate the price of sugar in the Philippines?”
She warned that if cartels were allowed to thrive and profit, this will only result in more kickbacks, shady deals, and corruption. Sugar prices will not go down.