Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday, February 23 warned Department of Agriculture (DA) undersecretary Domingo Panganiban that he could be held criminally and administratively liable for allowing three businesses to import sugar ahead of the official release of Sugar Order No. 6.

Panganiban, in a press briefing, had admitted to making a hasty decision when he told three trading companies—purportedly, All Asian Countertrade, Sucden Philippines Inc. and Edison Lee Marketing Corporation—to import tons of sugar in the Philippines.

According to Panganiban, he mistook the memorandum from the Office of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin for approval to immediately proceed with the importation. He said the matter of lowering the high prices of sugar was urgent as it is driving up inflation.

SO No. 6 allows the entry of 440,000 metric tons of refined sugar into the country in a bid to tame the high price of the basic agricultural commodity in the country.

But ahead of the SO No. 6, a shipment of sugar from Thailand had already arrived in the country at the Port of Batangas on February 9, or six days before the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s (SRA) order.

Hontiveros flagged the incident as a “government-sponsored smuggling.”

“Tone-toneladang asukal ang pinag-uusapan dito, 450,000 metric tons, pero bakit ang pait (We are talking about tons of sugar here, 450,000 metric tons, but why the bitterness)?” Hontiveros pointed out in a statement.

“Biruin nyo, tatlong kompanya, halos na handpicked pa, ang pinayagan na mag-angkat ng asukal para sa buong bansa. Di ba kaduda-duda yan? Di ba sa ganyan nagsisimula ang kartel? Paanong hindi mangangamoy ‘government-sponsored smuggling’ yan (Just imagine, three companies, almost handpicked, were allowed to import sugar for the entire country. Isn't that doubtful? Isn't that how the cartel starts? How can that not smell like a ‘government-sponsored smuggling’?” she pointed out.

“Wag sanang daanin sa palusot at paikot-ikot ang ating mga kababayan (I hope they should stop making excuses to our people),” the deputy minority leader said.

“Kaya sa pag-amin kahapon ni Department of Agriculture (DA) Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban na sila ang namili at nag-utos sa tatlong kompanya na mag-import, sana ay handa silang humarap sa mga seryosong kasong kriminal at administratibo (So with DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban admitting yesterday that they bought and ordered the three companies to import, I hope they are ready to face serious criminal and administrative charges),” Hontiveros reiterated.

The senator pointed out a large shipment of 450,000 metric tons of sugar already looks like economic sabotage.

“That is large-scale agricultural smuggling. According to the law, in the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act (RA 10845), the entry into the country of sugar worth at least P1,000,000, and without a proper permit, is prohibited,” she pointed out.

The DA official had also said, Hontivers noted, that their basis is not a sugar order from the SRA but just a memo from the Office of the Executive Secretary.

Based on the SRA charter or Executive order (EO) No. 18, series of 1986), only the SRA - and not Panganiban himself - has the power to issue permits and licenses such as sugar orders for the importation of sugar. .

“It's been seven months since the sugar import fiasco came to light, new fiasco again? Who ordered that? Who and what motivated them to make that ‘hasty decision’ (Pitong buwan na mula nang mabulgar ang sugar import fiasco, bagong fiasco ulit? Sino nanaman ang nag-utos nyan? Sino at ano ang nag-udyok sa kanila na gawin ang ika nya ay "hasty decision" na yan)?” she said.

“Once, and for all, para mapanatag naman ang mga consumers, nananawagan ako kay Presidente: lagdaan na nila ang isang maayos na sugar order na hawig sa mga dating sugar orders na pangmaramihang importers (Once, and for all, in order to reassure consumers, I am calling on the President: sign a proper sugar order similar to the previous sugar orders that were mass importers),” she reiterated.

“Paano naman kasi magiging makatarungan ang presyo ng bilihin kung tila iniitsapwera ang SRA at ang mga batas? Bakit mistulang gobyerno na mismo ang bumuo ng tatlong kompanya ang magdidikta ng presyo ng asukal para sa Pilipinas (How can the price of the product be fair if the SRA and the laws seem to be ignored? Why does it seem like the government that created the three companies will dictate the price of sugar for the Philippines)?” she pointed out.

#DOMINGO PANGANIBAN

New fiasco? Hontiveros warns criminal, admin raps await DA official who OK'd fresh sugar imports

Marcos taps former Agri chief Panganiban as DA undersecretary