Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday, September 7 said the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee should first review the Zoom recording of the meeting that transpired last August 4 between officials of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) officials and President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. together with Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez.

Hontiveros also expressed her disappointment at the panel’s decision to terminate the hearings on the sugar importation fiasco saying “there are more questions that need to be asked” about the controversy surrounding the botched release of Sugar Order No. 4 which could have authorized the entry of 300,000 metric tons of sugar into the country.

“An effective fact-finding process requires the complete facts. In the case of the sugar fiasco, the truth remains elusive because so many details were left hanging. Bitin (it’s hanging),” Hontiveros said.

“I maintain that there are more questions that need to be asked about this fiasco. Former (SRA) Administrator (Hermenegildo) Serafica, as corroborated by former (SRA) Board Member (Aurelio) Valderrama, offered new information that could help explain why (Agriculture) Usec. (Leocadio) Sebastian proceeded with the sugar order,” the Senate minority bloc member added.

“Sa tingin ko masusi itong dapat pag-aralan, at kung may ebidensya na dapat magpatotoo ng sinabi nila ito ay dapat tingnan ng kumite. Hahanapin ko ito sa committee report (I think this should be thoroughly studied, and if there is evidence that can corroborrate what they said, this should be studied by the committee. I will look for this in the committee report),” she said.

“I seriously hope that the Chair takes a look at the Zoom recording before drafting the partial committee report,” said Hontiveros, referring to Sen. Francis Tolentino who chairs the Senate blue ribbon panel.

She also said it is puzzling why Rodriguez did not disclose the details of the August 4 meeting with Sebastian and the President when he first appeared at the Senate probe and left early at that.

“It seems it wasn’t only Serafica who withhold information in the early part of the hearing. This should also come out in the committee report.

“I believe the Senate should still conduct a probe on allegations of tongpats, kung meron, pero tingnan din kung sino ang kamay sa likod nitong mga raids ng mga sugar bodega na kalaunan naman ay legitimate pala ang import permits (padding, if there were, but we should also investigate who were behidn the raids of sugar warehouses where it was eventually found out were holding legitimate import permits),” Hontiveros pointed out.

Nevertheless, she said the ability of the senators to compel the appearance of the Executive Secretary to appear in the Senate investigation on Tuesday, September 6, was a “victory for the independence of the Senate.”

“Nagpapasalamat ako sa mga kapwa ko senador na bumoto para suportahan ang motion ko to (I’m thankful to my co-senators who voted to support my motion to) implead the executive secretary. This shows we cannot be dictated upon by a co-equal branch of government,” she stressed.

“I will study the partial committee report very carefully, and will check how it presents these details that have been left hanging. I can only hope that it contains conclusions based on the evidence and based on testimonies of all the stakeholders, not just a few,” the lawmaker reiterated.

“Hindi matahimik ang kalooban ko hangga’t hindi napapatunayan kung sino sa kanila ang nagsasabi ng totoo ( I can’t rest until we find out who is really telling the truth),” she emphasized.