MANILA, Philippines — Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez on Tuesday belied the claim that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. floated the idea of importing 600,000 metric tons (MT) of sugar into the country.
It was resigned Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Hermenegildo Serafica, during the third installation of the Senate blue ribbon inquiry into the sugar importation fiasco, who claimed that Marcos Jr. mentioned the importation of 600,000 MT of the commodity during an online meeting on August 4.
Rodriguez said the President never mentioned any amount in terms of quantity of sugar to be imported, adding that Marcos Jr. did not believe that 300,000 MT of sugar should be imported.
“Walang binabanggit na amount, in terms of quantity, si kagalang galang na Pangulo pagdating doon sa MT na dapat iangkat. Kaya tayo naipit doon sa import plan pa lang dahil hindi nga kami kumbinsido sa 300,000 MT,” he said during the panel hearing.
Executive Sec. Victor Rodriguez faces members of the Blue Ribbon Committee Tuesday, August 23, 2022, to shed light on the events that transpired in connection with the controversial Sugar Order (SO) No. 4 issued by the Sugar Regulatory Administration authorizing the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar. (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)
(The President did not mention the amount of sugar to be imported. That’s why we were stuck in the import plan because the President was not convinced with the 300,000 MT to be imported.)
“Walang katotohanan na nanggaling kay Pangulong Marcos ‘yung 600,000 MT. Yung 300,000 MT nga ay hindi kumbinsido ang Pangulo, bakit niya sasabihing 600,000?” Rodriguez added.
(There is no truth that the 600,000 MT figure emanated from the President. He was not even convinced with the 300,000 MT importation. Why would he say that 600,000 MT needed to be imported?)
Rodriguez also cited other orders that only 150,000 MT of sugar will be imported, which is a far cry from the 600,000 MT figure.
In that online meeting, Serafica said the President reiterated his instruction to import sugar, so “it was recommended that 300,000 MT of sugar should be imported.”
“Actually in that online meeting with the President, former board member Valderrama was also in that online meeting and the President mentioned about a volume of 600,000 metric tons and I said, ‘Mr. President, that maybe too much…’,” Serafica said, noting that the milling season was about to start then.
SRA board member Aurelio Valderrama, who was also at the hearing, confirmed Serafica’s claim.
“Yes, this was discussed in our Zoom meeting together with the President and he mentioned the 600,000 but former administrator Serafica said that it might be too much because the milling season is about to open,” Valderrama said, still responding to Hontiveros’ queries.
Tuesday’s hearing is the third installation of the Senate blue ribbon committee’s inquiry into the controversial Sugar Order No. 4 that would have authorized the importation of 300,000 MT of sugar into the country.