SENATE deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros yesterday said the Department of Agriculture should blacklist the three companies involved in the importation of sugar without an import order, if they are found responsible for irregularities.
“The three handpicked companies which seem to be involved in the new variant of the sugar fiasco should be blacklisted if proven that they intend to corner the importation of sugar supply in the country. I repeat, this is large-scale agricultural smuggling),” she said in Filipino.
In a press conference on February 21, Hontiveros revealed documents showing that the three firms — All Asian Comtrade Inc., Sucden Philippines Inc., and Edison Lee Marketing Corp. — were given the go-signal to import 450,000 metric tons of sugar even without an importation order from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) as required by law.
Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban the following day said it was he who handpicked the three, and that his basis to allow the companies to import sugar was only a memorandum from the Office of the Executive Secretary, which he deemed as an import order.
Hontiveros urged the three companies to tell all they know about the recent sugar importation when the investigation on the issue starts.
“They still have time to choose not to be fully embroiled in such a brazen and outrageous conspiracy. Kung napilitan lang sila (if they were just pressured), then they should immediately reveal to the public the individuals who may be truly responsible for this Sugar Import Fiasco 2.0,” she added.
Hontiveros filed Senate Resolution No. 497 which urges the Blue Ribbon Committee to investigate the sugar importation. The resolution was still pending at the committee level as of February 28.
Hontiveros called out her colleagues in the Senate and other concerned agencies to immediately act on the issue as there is a “need to prevent the economic damage a smuggling operation of such size would cause.”
She said the three companies should be scrutinized for any irregularity or criminal liability relating to their roles in the importation of thousands of metric tons of sugar.
She also called on “our fellow government officials in the relevant agencies” to disclose efforts to pressure them or others “to enable, protect, or cover up illegal acts” in the government.
She said the filing of cases for agricultural smuggling has a prescription period of 20 years, thus “there is plenty of time for the truth to come out.”
