Law needed to revive Philsucor – DOJ

Secretary of Justice Jesus Crispin Remulla. (File photo by TETCH TORRES-TUPAS / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla pointed out on Sunday that a new law is needed to revive the Philippine Sugar Corp. (PhilSuCor), which was abolished in 2018 by then-President Rodrigo Duterte.

Remulla’s remark was in response to the request for a legal opinion by Presidential Management Staff Senior Undersecretary Elaine Masukat, following President Marcos’ directive for various government agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), to study the viability of reviving PhilSuCor to help sugar farmers.

PhilSuCor was created during the administration of former President Ferdinand Marcos on Nov. 14, 1983, under Presidential Decree No. 1890 primarily to provide financing in the acquisition, rehabilitation, and/or expansion of sugar mills, refineries and other related facilities used in the manufacture, packing, storage, distribution and shipment of sugar and its by-products and derivatives.

Chartered GOCCAfter 35 years, Duterte ordered the abolition of PhilSuCor through the recommendation of the Governance Commission for Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporations (GCG). Among the reasons cited was that its functions had overlapped with those of the SRA.

“[W]e advise that a legislation needs to be passed by Congress to revive the abolished PhilSuCor,” Remulla said in his legal opinion.

“PhilSuCor is a Chartered GOCC, having been created pursuant to PD No. 1890, and taking into account the provisions of Republic Act No. 10149, in relation to GCG Memorandum Circular No. 2015-03, it can be abolished by executive order but not revived in the same manner,” he said.