Several witnesses or resource speakers want to appear physically before the joint public hearing on Tuesday, Aug. 23, of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the Senate Agriculture Committee on the sugar importation mess to clear their names, Senator Francis ‘’Tol’’ Tolentino, Blue Ribbon panel chairman, said.
Although the Senate is scheduled to go on total lockdown on Monday, Aug. 22, Tolentino said he still prefers witnesses or resource persons from the government and private sector to appear in person so that the committee could observe their demeanor.
‘’At iba talaga gusto physical sila para maclear ang pangalan nila (Others want to appear physically to clear their names ),’’ he added.
Tolentino said the list of witnesses or resource speakers from the government and private sector is long based on the privilege speech last Monday by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on the sugar mess.
In that speech, Zubiri demanded the resignation of officials of the Sugar Regulatory Board (SRB) and Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) who had a hand in the aborted SRB order to import 300,000 metric tons (MTs) of sugar.
Malacanang said the SRB import order was illegal.
SRA Administrator Hermenigildo Serafica; Roland Beltran, board member and millers’ representative have resigned.
First to resign was DA Undersecretary for Operations Leocadio Sebastian. He was also the chief of staff of the DA secretary, a position temporarily being held by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
Tolentino said a resignation does not mean that a case has been terminated.
‘’Gusto nating malaman ano ang puno't dulo nito, ano epekto sa merkado sa mga mamimiliat ang sugar inventory at ano ang mga batas na dapat baguhin (We want to know the heads and tails of this episode, what is the effect on the market of the sugar inventory and what laws need to be amended),’’ he pointed out.
Before the controversial sugar import order was revealed, Zubiri said SRA records showed that there were some 127,000 tons of sugar ‘’rotting’’ within warehouses in Metro Manila and its environs.
To assist the two Senate committees are former Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Carangdang as senior legal consultant and former Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Gerard Mosquera as general counsel.
Asked during a DWIZ radio interview this afternoon whether the SRA should be abolished, Tolentino said he could not yet make a determination pending the hearings.
"Kung ano ang relevance ng SRA kung dapat iretool o ireorganize. Tayo po ay handang tumulong sa executive, tignan muna natin ang facts na lalabas (What is the relevance of SRA, whether it should be retooled or re-organized. We are ready to help the executive branch but let’s wait for the facts).’’
Asked whether there is a syndicate behind the importation of sugar, Toleninto replied that government is now raiding warehouses that allegedly contain sugar.