Hontiveros: Sugar shortfall an actual problem, not artificial
The government is experiencing an actual sugar shortage contrary to claims that the shortfall is merely “artificial,” Senator Risa Hontiveros said.
During her interpellation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee report on the sugar importation fiasco on Tuesday, Hontiveros said public documents show that government officials were already flagging the limited supply of refined sugar and the inability of current stocks to meet domestic demand as early as April this year.
Hontiveros told Sen. Francis Tolentino, chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, who led the investigation into the sugar importation mess, that she obtained the April 2022 National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) letter only after the panel’s hearing on the fiasco had already concluded.
By April 8, 2022, she said the NEDA already flagged the limited supply and high prices of refined sugar, and declared that domestic production of refined sugar is not enough to meet the local demand.
“This letter was in response to a request for comments on the letter of Coca-Cola highlighting the company’s supply gap of 116,000 metric tons,” Hontiveros said.
“The jobs of our fellowmen are at stake here, Just last Sept. 18, 2022, it was reported that aside from Coca Cola plants in Davao, Cavite, Zamboanga and Camarines Sur, their plants in Bohol and Iloilo are also now under temporary shutdown,” she pointed out.
“If this is all just a big conspiracy to create an artificial shortage para makapag-import at makapag-tongpats, magsasara ba ang Coke ng planta (just to import, would these offices of Coke just shut down)?,” she added.
“I'm presenting this to the Senate plenary, since in any case, it is public interest, and the public's right to know should prevail,” she said.
“It is extremely important to remove any cloud of doubt that there is, in fact, an actual – and not just anticipated – but an actual shortage in the supply of sugar. There is so much at stake. We have to act swiftly,” she stressed.
She also reiterated her position there is enough proof to show that suspended Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, former Sugar Regulatory Authority (SRA) administrator Hermenegildo Serafica, and former Board members Roland Beltran and Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama Jr. acted in good faith when they signed the controversial Sugar Order No. 4.
“The disproportionately punitive actions against career civil servants like former Undersecretary Sebastian would only discourage officials from acting with dispatch on issues as critical as prices and supply of important household commodities,” she said.
“Sa huli, mamamayang Pilipino ang matatalo dito (In the end, the Filipino people are at the losing end),” she stressed.
The government is experiencing an actual sugar shortage contrary to claims that the shortfall is merely “artificial,” Senator Risa Hontiveros said.
During her interpellation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee report on the sugar importation fiasco on Tuesday, Hontiveros said public documents show that government officials were already flagging the limited supply of refined sugar and the inability of current stocks to meet domestic demand as early as April this year.
Hontiveros told Sen. Francis Tolentino, chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, who led the investigation into the sugar importation mess, that she obtained the April 2022 National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) letter only after the panel’s hearing on the fiasco had already concluded.
By April 8, 2022, she said the NEDA already flagged the limited supply and high prices of refined sugar, and declared that domestic production of refined sugar is not enough to meet the local demand.
“This letter was in response to a request for comments on the letter of Coca-Cola highlighting the company’s supply gap of 116,000 metric tons,” Hontiveros said.
“The jobs of our fellowmen are at stake here, Just last Sept. 18, 2022, it was reported that aside from Coca Cola plants in Davao, Cavite, Zamboanga and Camarines Sur, their plants in Bohol and Iloilo are also now under temporary shutdown,” she pointed out.
“If this is all just a big conspiracy to create an artificial shortage para makapag-import at makapag-tongpats, magsasara ba ang Coke ng planta (just to import, would these offices of Coke just shut down)?,” she added.
“I'm presenting this to the Senate plenary, since in any case, it is public interest, and the public's right to know should prevail,” she said.
“It is extremely important to remove any cloud of doubt that there is, in fact, an actual – and not just anticipated – but an actual shortage in the supply of sugar. There is so much at stake. We have to act swiftly,” she stressed.
She also reiterated her position there is enough proof to show that suspended Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, former Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Hermenegildo Serafica, and former Board members Roland Beltran and Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama Jr. acted in good faith when they signed the controversial Sugar Order No. 4.
“The disproportionately punitive actions against career civil servants like former Undersecretary Sebastian would only discourage officials from acting with dispatch on issues as critical as prices and supply of important household commodities,” she said.
“Sa huli, mamamayang Pilipino ang matatalo dito (In the end, the Filipino people are at the losing end),” she stressed.