Senator Risa Hontiveros has questioned the supposed involvement of the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) headed by Vic Rodriguez in the attempted and unauthorized importation of 300,000 metric tons (MTs) of sugar.
Hontiveros was particularly curious as to why Rodriguez did not spare President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., who is also the concurrent head of the Department of Agriculture (DA), from the possible importation mess if in the first place he was aware of the crafting of Sugar Order (SO) No. 4.
"As early as Aug. 5, 2022, a draft of the Sugar Order No. 4 was already submitted to former SRA administrator Leo Sebastian. In the afternoon of Aug. 5, the DA OSec already wrote to the ES na inamin niya ngayon (which he admitted just now) and sent him the said draft as well as a Memorandum for the President," the opposition senator said during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Tuesday, Aug. 23.
"Alam ni Sec. Rodriguez na may umiikot na (Rodriguez was aware that there was a circulating) draft order. An order that received support from stakeholders of the sugar industry. Did he mention this at all to his principal? Di ba dapat ang ES
prinoprotektahan ang pangulo? Di ba dapat ang ES gatekeeper? (Shouldn't he inform his principal? Shouldn't he protect the President?)" she added.
For Hontiveros, it was "puzzling" why the OES reacted to the SO No. 4, which allowed the would-be importation of 300,000 MTs of sugar, as if it was the first time they heard of it.
"Why suggest na first time mo nadinig na may (that it was your first time to hear about) Sugar Order No. 4, when you were informed and kept in the loop as early as Aug. 5?" she asked,
"This could have been a simple policy debate on the sterile question of do we need more sugar. Pero bakit may packaging na niloloko ang Pangulo, bakit pinapalabas na may paglilinlang? (Why does it appear like the President is being deceived?)" she asked.
Hontiveros then asked Rodriguez to be present in the next hearing after the latter immediately excused himself from Tuesday's session to address some concerns.