The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday, Jan. 5, called on the public to respect the decision of the Office of the President (OP) that cleared four officers of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) on the controversial order to import 300,000 metric tons of sugar in August 2022.

According to reports, the OP has issued a 10-page resolution absolving suspended Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, resigned Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Hermenegildo Serafica, and former SRA board members Roland Beltran and Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama Jr. of all liabilities related to the approval of Sugar Order No. 4.

“The Executive Secretary has already approved ‘yung decision na ‘yan. We have to respect kung ano man ang decision na ‘yon. Dahil naimbistigahan na man po ‘yan— nag-present na ‘yung ibang side ng kanilang panig, and ‘yan po nadesisyunan po ‘yan (The Executive Secretary has already approved that decision. We have to respect whatever the decision was. It has been probed and both have presented their sides, and that has been decided),” he said during a “Laging Handa” briefing.

“So let’s respect na lang po na ‘yun ang kanilang desisyon po na ‘yan (So let’s respect their decision on that).”

What will happen to Sebastian?

Estoperez said they talked about the situation of Sebastian should he return to the agriculture department since he is holding a “plantilla” position.

“Iyan po ang pinag-uusapan namin sa Department of Agriculture kung ano pong posisyon or kung ano pong sitwasyon kung sakaling babalik po, which is sabi nga ni Usec. Leo na babalik siya (That’s what we have been talking about in the Department of Agriculture if what position or what will be the situation should he returns, which Usec. Leo said he will),” he said.

He advised Sebastian to get an audience with President and Agriculture Secretary Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.

“Ang pinag-uusapan po natin diyan ay ang desisyon ngayon ng ating executive secretary, by the authority of the President, doon sa nangyaring ‘yon pero the fact na ‘yung pong mga sitwasyon na ‘yan ay nangyari po nang si Usec Panganiban ay nandyan nakaupo, ang sinasabi nga niya, siguro mas maganda po na mag-audience si Usec. Sebastian sa Office of the President po (What we are talking about is the decision of our executive secretary, by the authority of the President, in what happened, but the fact is that those situations happened when Usec Panganiban was sitting there. , that's what he was saying, maybe it would be better if Usec. Sebastian had an audience with the Office of the President),” said the DA deputy spokesperson.

Decision absolving SRA officials

Per the OP, it found that the issuance SO No. 4 “was done in good faith absent any showing that the respondents were aware of their lack of authority.”

The OP said the respondents thought they were authorized because of miscommunication, noting that “miscommunication” as its root cause.

“Apparently, the root cause of miscommunication is the Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated 15 July 202215 with the subject ‘Designation as Undersecretary for Operations of the Department of Agriculture (DA), and Grant of Additional Authorities and Functions,’” it read.

As such, it was noted in the decision that there is “no clear and convincing evidence to suggest that the respondents committed any misconduct.”

“Notably, there is no showing that respondents issued the subject order in order to materially benefit therefrom, and the surrounding circumstances extant absolve the respondents of any misconduct,” it added.

The OP said that the respondents are not guilty of dishonesty.

“he iintent to deceive or misrepresent is absent sans any proof that respondents concealed the issuance of the subject order to the President,” it read.

In 2022, then Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles even called “illegal” the Sugar Regulatory Board (SRB) Resolution No. 4, which authorized the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar on top of what had already been imported in May 2022.

Angeles said the resolution of the SRB for the importation of sugar “should not have been issued with such haste as it appears to have been made.”

In addition, she said that it should have been taken into consideration if such importation will affect the harvest and the prices of local growers, adding that “in the absence of such a determination then we cannot issue a resolution for importation.”

To recall, Serafica and the others resigned in the midst of an investigation launched by the Palace to look into the extent of accountability for the illegal order, branding it as a hasty decision despite the administration’s stance on importing agricultural goods which are to import as little as possible and boost local production.