Sugar producers back reelection of 5 senators

A group of sugar producers endorsed five reelectionist senators for supporting the group’s fight against deregulating sugar importation.

Raymond Montinola, spokesperson for the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations Inc., said sugar industry leaders, millers, farmers and workers agreed to vote for Senators Cynthia Villar, Sonny Angara, Aquilino Pimentel III, Nancy Binay and Joseph Ejercito.

Sugar industry federations in 28 provinces in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao made the commitment, according to Montinola.

Champions

“We are fully supporting the five senators considered our champions this coming election,” he said.

The five, tagged by Montinola as sugar industry champions, backed a resolution opposing the planned liberalization of the sugar industry.

Other senators which supported it were Sherwin Gatchalian, Richard Gordon, Loren Legarda, Joel Villanueva and Miguel Zubiri.

The senators also supported the doubling of taxes on high-fructose corn syrup which could lower sugar prices.