Statement of Senator Risa Hontiveros on DA clearing the release of "smuggled' sugar imports

PHILIPPINES, March 7 - Press Release
March 7, 2023

Dapat nang imbestigahan at ilagay sa preventive suspension si Department of Agriculture (DA) Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban dahil sa kanilang patuloy na pagtulong sa pagbuo ng isang makapangyarihang kartel sa asukal, na kanila pang ipinagmamalaki ngayon.

That he is not under suspension and investigation only means one thing: his superiors see nothing wrong with him openly violating existing laws and usurping the powers and mandate of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).

Saan nanghihiram ng lakas ng loob si Usec. Panganiban para sabihin na pabayaan na lang daw ang bagay na ito? May basbas ba sila ng Malakanyang para sabihin na manahimik na lang ang mga taong nananawagan na sundin ang batas?

Dapat magpaliwanag si Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, na dating Supreme Court Chief Justice, sa buong bansa kung bakit hindi ini-imbestigahan si Panganiban at kung bakit hindi pa binaligtad o ibinasura ng Malakanyang ang mga kwestyonable at iligal na order sa DA.

Interestingly, Undersecretary Leonardo Cervantes of the Office of the Executive Secretary admitted in a February 22 press conference that he cannot say if the sugar stocks now being cleared by Panganiban were imported legally or not, and that the President's directive of importing sugar to bring down domestic prices should follow the processes under the SRA as required by law.

Kung ganyan pala ay bakit walang imbestigasyon o kahit anong aksyon ang Malakanyang laban sa hayagang pagbuo ng cartel? Malapit na tuloy akong magtanong kung talaga bang sumusunod lamang sa mga utos si Secretary Bersamin at Undersecretary Panganiban.

A word of advice to Undersecretary Panganiban: Pride comes before a fall. Stakeholders in the sugar sector have already committed to pursue criminal cases in relation to this Sugar Import Fiasco 2.0. Sana ay handa na sila sa mga kasong kanilang haharapin.

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GOOGLE DRIVE LINK OF SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS VIDEO ON SUGAR SMUGGLING: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H1tPGx578UY-66CGC1j81LJuMMdHj7on/view?usp=share_link

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Statement of Senator Risa Hontiveros on DA clearing the release of "smuggled' sugar imports

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