MANILA, Philippines — The Senate blue ribbon committee ordered on Tuesday the physical presence of former Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Hermenegildo Serafica at the sugar importation fiasco hearing.
The motion was initiated by Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
“I would like to move for the physical presence of former SRA administrator Serafica,” he said.
READ: SRA chief Serafica resigns following sugar importation mess
Senator Francis Tolentino, chair of the blue ribbon committee, echoed Dela Rosa’s call.
“So, are you willing to attend today’s hearing para matapos na ito sa parte niyo? Kasi mahirap po ‘yung nasa online kayo. ‘Yung mga former colleagues niyo nandito physically present at sa House po um-attend kayo,” he said.
(So, are you willing to attend today’s hearing so that this will be over with on your part? It is difficult when you are just online. Your former colleagues are physically present here and you attended the House hearing.)
Serafica explained that he failed to comply with the health protocols of the Senate due to traffic. Hence, he attended the hearing virtually.
Tolentino then asked, “There is a motion here coming from Senator Dela Rosa to require your physical presence before the end of the day. Are you willing to do that?”
“The Senate blue ribbon committee directs you to proceed to the second floor of the Senate premises now,” he added.
The former administrator agreed to go to the upper chamber.
Around 1 p.m., Serafica physically appeared before the committee and took his oath.
The hearing stemmed from an order published on the website of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), which authorized the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar.
Malacañang denied the document, saying President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. rejected such an importation proposal.
Following the mess, Serafica and SRA board member Roland Beltran and Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian quit their respective posts.
READ: Senate starts probe on sugar import fiasco