Former Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Hermenegildo Serafica on Tuesday, September 6 said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. had mentioned the idea of importing 600,000 metric tons (MT) of sugar into the country.

Serafica made the disclosure at the continuation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation into the botched release of Sugar Order No. 4 or the sugar importation mess currently hounding the Marcos administration.

According to Serafica, Marcos cited the amount of importation during an online meeting that was attended by the President, Rodriguez and himself last August 4.

In that meeting, Serafica, said the President reiterated his instruction to import sugar and he broached the recommended importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar during the meeting.

Responding to a question posed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Serafica said the 300,000 MT was based on the recommendation of stakeholders after the July 29 meeting of sugar farmers, millers and refiners.

“The instructions was to submit an import plan and in the language of SRA, an import plan is an import program. In the form of a draft sugar order,” Serafica told senators during the hearing.

According to Serafica, the online meeting with the president was also attended by former SRA board member Aurelio Valderrama, who was also present during the hearing.

“Actually in that online meeting with the president, former board member valderrama was also in that online meeting and the president mentioned about a volume of 600,000 MT,” Serafica said.

“And I said, Mr. President, that maybe too much because starting August 1, first farmers have already accepted cane delivery from farmers and anytime this week, they will start milling and former board member Valderrama can confirm this your honor,” he said.

However, Sen. Francis Tolentino, who chairs the blue ribbon panel, called out Serafica, noting that it was his first time mentioning the 600,000 metric tons.

But Serafica, stood his ground and said that Valderrama can attest to his testimony.

Asked to confirm Serafica’s statements, Valderrama replied in the affirmative: “Yes, I confirm the meeting.”

“Yes, this was discussed in our Zoom meeting together with the President and he mentioned the 600,000 but former Administrator Serafica said that it might be too much because the milling season is about to open,” Valderrama stressed.

But Rodriguez, who suddenly arrived at the Senate probe after the panel voted to subpoena him, refuted Serafica and Valderrama’s statement.

“Wala hong binabanggit na amount in terms of quantity si Kagagalang-galang na Pangulong Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. dun sa metric tons na dapat i-angkat (President Marcos did not mention any amount in terms of quantity regarding the metric tons of sugar that should be imported),” Rodriguez told senators at the hearing.

“Kaya po tayo naipit dun sa import plan pa lang ay dahil nga hindi kami kumbinsido sa 300,000 MT (the reason why we stopped the import plan is because we are not convinced with the proposed 300,000 MT),” he said.

“Again, let me be very clear your honors, wala hong debate na dapat tayo ay mag-angkat... Nahinto na lang po kami kung magkakano talaga yung amount na dapat nating iangkat (there’s no debate that we need to import... we just want to know the amount of sugar that we need to import),” the executive official further said.

Hontiveros moved to subpoena the Zoom recording of the supposed August 4 meeting supposedly attended by the President, Rodriguez, Valderrama and Serafica, but Tolentino said the matter would have to be discussed again by the committee.

“Because these are confidential statements...we will discuss whether we have the right to subpoena or subpoena duces tecum (these documents) without violating the confidentaility of privileged communications between the Chief Executive and his subalterns and without violating, perhaps, a Data Privacy Act provision,” Tolentino said.