The Senate blue ribbon committee on Monday, May 8 deferred anew its hearing on the alleged “state-sponsored” smuggling of 440,000 metric tons of sugar last February.
Sen. Francis Tolentino, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, on Monday, May 8, expressed his dismay on the absence of several cabinet officials who were invited to shed light on the controversy regarding Sugar Order No. 6 and its provisions that may be open to abuse, patronage and cartelization. (Senate PRIB Photo)


Sen. Francis Tolentino, chairman of the blue ribbon panel, invoked Article 2 of the Committee’s rules in postponing the hearing based on the absence of vital witnesses. Absent during the hearing where Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, former Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) administrator David John Alba, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Alfredo Pascual, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, as well as Department of Agriculture (DA) Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban Jr. “Invoking the rules of this committee, and reiterating that the findings of this committee will not be based on speculations but on merits of the evidence that’s presented and not the weakness of the defense. Without the objections on the part of my colleagues this committee hearing is hereby postponed until further notice,” Tolentino said. Prior to this, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who was present at the hearing, told the committee that Balisacan is presently in Vancouver due to a “prior scheduled trip.” Pascual, on the other hand, is in Indonesia “attending a ministerial level conference and he will be there until the ASEAN Summit which will be up to May 11,” according to Bersamin. Panganiban, the Executive Secretary said, is presently in Washington D.C. on official mission. “All of these three, your honor, would have come here if the schedule were different but it happens that their trips coincided with our meeting today,” Bersamin informed the panel when asked about the whereabouts of the invited resource persons. In response, Tolentino thanked Bersamin for his presence in the hearing, but stressed that the panel would not be able to scrutinize the issue without the presence of the said officials. “So they are vital to the investigation that this committee will be undertaking. Kaya mahihirapan po siguro tayong tumuloy kung wala sila (It would be difficult for us to pursue this without them),” Tolentino said. “Although maraming naririto sa inyo (many of you are here) we will be requiring you to take your oath as well as affirm the contents of your affidavit submitted if you have submitted…” he pointed out. Nevertheless, Bersamin said he would exert all effort to get the absent government officials be ready to appear in the next hearing “Yes, I think so, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. The undersecretary of agriculture will be in Washington until May 13. If we could schedule his appearance after that, he will be available,” he said. “As to Sec. Pascual and Sec. Balisacan, I think the same is true for them. The ES will always be at your disposal,” he added. Sen. Risa Hontiveros, in response, expressed her disappointment on this development. “At this point, I wish to express my serious disappointment that Undersecretary Panganiban is not here. Gusto kong ipaliwanag nila kung bakit nila napili itong tatlong importer na ito (I want them to explain why they chose these three importers),” she said. The three importers Hontiveros is referring are All Asian Countertade Inc., Sucden Philippines and Edison Lee Marketing Corp. It was Hontiveros who filed Senate Resolution No. 497, urging the Senate to investigate the alleged illegal entry of 440,000 metric tons of sugar at the Philippine ports ahead of the release of Sugar Order No. 6.