Malacañang will need to hear the side of warehouse owners and consignees of sugar found in a series of inspections first before deciding on whether or not to release the sugar supplies to the market.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said the findings of the investigation on warehouses found storing bulk of sugar will determine the government's next move on this issue.

"We have to see kasi 'di ba binibigyan natin ng pagkakataon sumagot yung mga may hawak ng mga warehouses at saka yung mga consignees o yung may hawak ng asukal mismo, yung mga may ari. So hindi pa po tapos yung mga periods na yun. Hintayin po natin.(we gave the warehouse owners and consignees a chance to explain. So this period is not yet over. We must wait)," Angeles said in a press briefing on Wednesday, Aug. 24.

Angeles further said that the government also needs to determine whether the sugar found in the various storage facilities in the country were imported legally or not.

"Yung iba kasi (Some of these), we assumed that they’re legal or legit , kung kunwari hindi siya smuggled iniimbestigahan din yan kung hoarded. So, bigyan pa po natin ng konting panahon bago natin ma-determine yan. (if in case it's not smuggled, it will be investigated if it's hoarded. So, let's give it a time to determine that)," she said.

The Palace official also stressed that the investigation conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) will also dictate the "real state of our market."

The result of the investigation will also guide the government's importation plan, she further said.

"Paubos ba talaga nitong end of the month? Kung hindi naman at mayroon naman palang asukal diyan pero for some reason hindi nailalabas. Legitimate or not, then at least makikita natin, maku-compute natin kung tama ba yung pag-i-import natin at kung tama yung pag-compute natin sa importation natin (Are we really running out of sugar by the end of the month? If not, we have a supply that, for some reason, is not being released. Legitimate or not, then at least we can see if we really need to import and if our computation for importation is right)," Angeles said.

Various warehouses in several provinces in the country have been inspected by the Bureau of Customs (BOC), resulting in the discovery of bulk sugar supply.

A shipment of sugar from Thailand using a recycle import permit was also intercepted in Subic last week, promoting the relief of six BOC officials pending investigation.

The series of inspections in warehouses suspected of hoarding sugar will continue, Angeles said.