Even though he has already resigned as Executive Secretary, the pursuit for truth about Victor “Vic” Rodriguez’s role in the sugar importation mess will not stop, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said on Tuesday, September 20.
While he may have already stepped down from the post, Hontiveros noted that Rodriguez has opted to stay as a member of the Cabinet of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s administration.
“Hindi matatakasan ni Atty. Vic Rodriguez ang katotohanan, kahit saan pang posisyon ng gobyerno sya pumunta. Wag nyang gawing Trip to Jerusalem ang government service dahil lang tinutugis siya ng kanyang konsensya (Atty. Vic Rodriguez cannot escape the truth, even though he change governmetn positions. He should not make government service like a game of Trip to Jerusalem just because his conscience is bothering him),” Hontiveros said in a statement.
The minority senator also reminded Rodriguez that he is still obligated to submit to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee the minutes of the Zoom meeting where the possible importation of 600,000 metric tons of sugar was supposedly mentioned by the President himself.
“Hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin ito naisumite (Until now, he has not yet submitted the recording),” she pointed out.
“We vow to continue our efforts to find the truth despite all the misdirection, misinformation, and other efforts to bury this issue,” she added.
The senator further reiterated her call for the Marcos government to finally appoint an Agriculture Secretary who will focus on addressing the crisis in the agricultural sector.
“Let’s avoid future fiascos and disputes by keeping lines of accountability clear,” she stressed.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, headed by Sen. Francis Tolentino, had earlier terminated the investigation into the alleged unauthorized issuance of Sugar Order No. 4 which could have paved the way for the importation of 300,000 MTs of sugar into the country.
Marcos has since disowned the release of SO No. 4 ; the Senate committee has also recommended the filing of graft charges against former undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian and three other officials of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).