Amid growing frustrations with the controversial Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. said that he wants to see the dissolution of the sugar body.
He said this during the joint panel hearing of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability and the Committee on Agriculture and Food on the sugar importation mess.
“At this point in time, I am very much disillusioned with the SRA. And because I am disillusioned, I will call for a dissolution of the SRA,” Abante said during the joint panel hearing on Thursday, Sept. 8.
“That is the only way. Kasi magulo eh, ang gulo niyo. Kaya kami dito, naguguluhan kami dito lalo. Kaya sabi ko kay Chairman Enverga i-dissolve nalang natin ‘to. Anyway executive order lang naman yan eh (It’s a mess. You are a mess. That’s why even we are getting confused. That’s why I told Enverga that we should dissolve the SRA. Anyway, it’s just an executive order),” he continued.
The joint panel inquiry in aid of legislation on the sugar importation fiasco was launched last month after Minority Floor Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan filed House Resolution (HR) 259.
The measure sought to shed light “into the illegal issuance by the Sugar Regulatory Administration of Sugar Order No. 4, series of 2021-2022 and the bungled attempt to import sugar".
The following SRA executives--former and present--have appeared before the House joint panel: former Administrator Heremenegildo Serafica, former Board Member Aurelio Valderama Jr., Officer in Charge David Alba, and Deputy Administrator Guillermo Tejida.