San Jose Del Monte City Rep. Florida Robes on Sunday, Aug. 14, promised that the House Committee on Good Governance and Public Accountability, which she chairs, will “seek the truth” about the sugar importation mess during a briefing scheduled tomorrow, Monday.
The lawmaker stressed how “good governance requires transparency and accountability.”
“We expect to be enlightened on what really transpired so that we will be able to make informed decisions on the matter. Our committee will endeavor to seek the truth in its pursuit of good governance and public accountability,” she said in a statement.
Robes added that “credible and trustworthy institutions” are needed for public officials to be able to govern properly.
“That is why the Committee on Good Government and Accountability has taken the task of pursuing this need for transparency with respect to the issue over the sugar importation,” Robes said.
Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda, head of the Committee on Ways and Means, earlier called for the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to brief lawmakers on sugar import volumes and prices to prevent the country from running out of sugar.
But this was before the Department of Agriculture (DA) found itself in a mess after the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Sugar Order No. 4, which allowed the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar without the approval of the acting Agriculture chief and SRA chairman, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., was uploaded on the SRA website.
The resolution indicated that Marcos approved the importation, but Malacañang denied it was the Chief Executive’s signature on the document and said that the President had actually rejected the proposal to import 300,000 metric tons of sugar.
READ: Palace explains reversal of Sugar Regulatory Board’s importation order
It was instead Leocadio Sebastian, undersecretary for operations and chief of staff to the DA Secretary, who signed the resolution and subsequently resigned from his post and apologized to the President.
House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro wants heads to roll over the sugar importation fiasco, as she called for an investigation into the alleged illegal attempt to let 300,000 metric tons of sugar into the country.
Castro raised concern over the “questionable” signing that happened inside the Office of the President (OP), citing that sugar importation would adversely affect the sugar industry in the country.
“Kailangan ding malaman kung ang mga nasa likod ng pamemeke ng pirma ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. ay nakikinabang sa malakihang importasyon ng asukal na labis sa ating kailangan (We need to know also that what’s behind the faking of President Marcos Jr.’s signature is benefiting from the massive importation of sugar that’s more than what we need),” she added in a statement.
On Friday, Aug. 12, Agri Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee called the attempt to import sugar “bad news” because sugar planters and farm workers will take a hit once more after suffering due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
READ: Solon on people behind ‘Sugar-gate’: ‘Makapal ang mukha, masama ang kaluluwa’
“Kung sino man sa SRA ang nasa likod nito, makapal ang mukha, malakas ang loob, at masama ang kaluluwa (Whoever from the SRA is behind this is thick-faced, presumptuous, and has a bad spirit),” Lee said in a statement.
There is no space for anomalies in the government, especially as farmers are suffering from the impact of the pandemic, he added.