A vice chairman of the House Committeec on Appropriations wondered out loud Monday, Sept. 5 whether or not President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. knew enough about the country's laws, particularly those that pertain to sugar importation.

"I don't think the President--maybe, does not know very much sa (on) laws," Bukidnon 3rd district Rep. Jose Maria Zubiri Jr. told Department of Agriculture (DA) officials during the appropriations panel's briefing on the proposed P163.75 billion of the agency under the 2023 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

At the time, Zubiri was debating with the DA officials on the alleged presence of a Philippine law that, according to the elderly congressman, banned the importation of sugar.

"If I'm wrong please correct me. There is a law, an existing law protecting the sugar farmers in our country. No sugar should come in in our country as of the moment. And that has been there for quite some time. But I have seen in the newspaper there was 120,000 tons of sugar that came in...this is illegal!" he said.

Imported sugar tends to be cheaper than the locally-produced variety. This means that Filipino farmers' chances of earning a profit are hurt by sugar importation.

Pointing to the DA people in the hearing, Zubiri said, "May I ask you, I think it’s your office that is in charge these things. Why were there allowances or allocations for some people to bring in sugar in out market. So what happened? The sugar has dropped their prices. Kawawa naman yung mga farmer. Huwag tayong magpa-import ng sugarcane kasi may malaos! (The farmers are pitiful. Let's not order sugarcane because it will affect someone!) Let's honor the law."

Lawyer Brando Noroña, Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) deputy administrator for administration and finance, gave the solon this response: "We have the new set of board officials and as far as I know being a member of the SRA board, we'll there's a directive from the chairperson of the Sugar Board no less than the President of the Republic of the Philippines."

"Maybe I'm not in the position to say the--wisdom of the President in having that kind of marching order to import, if there is really a need to import because of the, well, ah, there is really a shortage of sugar in the Philippines," Noroña said.

But Zubiri insisted the anti-sugar importation rule that he raised was an actual statute and that Marcos might not have been aware of it.

"There's a law of not allowing sugar in our country was done (sic) way, way back. And I'm 82 years old now, I was born in the farm," the Mindanaoan said.

"This has been the law for a long, long time, prohibition of sugar coming in to the country in the Philippines. To save the sugar industry in our country. I myself was shocked; for the first time in my 82 years--I was born in that farm--I have read that there is an importation of sugar that came in. It's unperceivable," he said in his impassioned manifestation.

'I don't think there is a law'

Another DA official, Undersecretary Mercedita Sombilla, had a blunt but calm reply to Zubiri. "I don't think there is a law," she said.

"In fact we have a tariff...for sugar importation. We have the MAV (minimum access volume) that limits importation. And if we import within the MAV, there's a lower tariff; outside of the MAV there is a bigger tariff," she said.

"There reason why we are importing much more sugar now," Sombilla continued, "is because our production has really gone down, you know, against our demand, congressman. I think that's the reason."

As expected, Zubiri had a "counter" to lady official. "I'd like to correct it; where did you get your records about the drop of sugar production in the country? You tell me where? I will give you a copy so that you will know if you don't have the copy," he told Sombilla.

"If this is the kind of system we can do, mag-away tayo (we'll quarrel). Bahala na. Hindi ako papayag nang ganun (Let's see what will happen. I won't permit this)," he added.

But the lawmaker somewhat mellowed down right after this and just underscored his appeal for the sake of local farmers.

"Please I beg of you, please do not steal the sugar industry because that will kill the sugar people."