DA Exec Who Signed Sugar Order Quits

Leocadio Sebastian took responsibility for the unauthorized order to import sugar, and resigned last night as Department of Agriculture undersecretary for operations and chief of staff to the DA secretary.

In a letter to President Marcos dated Aug. 11, Sebastian “profusely” apologized for approving Sugar Order No. 4 without Marcos’ approval, according to Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles.

As concurrent DA secretary, Marcos is also the chairman of the Sugar Regulatory Board.

Sebastian apparently thought he had been given authority by Marcos to act on the President’s behalf on the sugar board.

“I sincerely offer my apologies, Your Excellency, for my having approved Sugar Order No. 4 on your behalf, and through the authority you have vested upon me… I take accountability and responsibility for its consequences,” Sebastian wrote in his one-page letter.

“Thus, I humbly offer to be relieved of my delegated authorities and the assignments and responsibilities in my capacity as Chief of Staff and Undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture,” Sebastian said.

Angeles said the investigation on the unauthorized importation of sugar would push through despite Sebastian’s resignation.

In a Facebook live Friday night, Aug. 12, Angeles was asked whether cases could still be filed against Sebastian. Angeles said Sebastian’s resignation “only addresses the administrative aspect.”

“Although he has resigned if there is criminal liability here he is not safe from criminal cases. But we will have to wait for the investigation,” Angeles, a lawyer, said.

Angeles earlier described as “illegal” Sugar Order No. 4 issued by the Sugar Regulatory Administration, which supposedly directs the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar.

“The Chairman of the Sugar Regulatory Board is President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. As such, the chairman sets the date of any meetings or convening of the Sugar Regulatory Board and its agenda. No such meeting was authorized by the President or such a resolution likewise, was not authorized,” Angeles said at a media briefing on Thursday, Aug. 11.

“Usec Sebastian was not authorized to sign such a resolution because the President did not authorize the importation,” said Angeles.

Probe to cover smuggling

Earlier Friday, Aug. 12, Angeles said the  investigation into the unauthorized order for the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar would likely be expanded to cover smuggling of agriculture commodities.

“The investigation will probably cover a more extensive review than simply the resolution that was issued by the Sugar Regulatory Board,” she said at a televised public briefing.

Angeles made the statement when asked to comment on the suggestion of Sen. Imee Marcos that a reshuffle of top Department of Agriculture officials be carried out, as smugglers were “lording it over” at the DA.

“I am sure the President has already noted this,” the press secretary said as she cited the senator for her concern.

“She is right. But probably beyond that, if there are sufficient findings, then heads will roll,” Angeles said in Filipino and English.

“Who were involved, what is the extent of their involvement, was it attended with malice, was it negligence, was it simply just bad judgment,” she added.

According to Angeles, the President immediately ordered a probe upon learning of the import authorization order issued by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) without his authority.

The SRA order was uploaded on the agency’s website last Wednesday, Aug. 10. Sebastian signed the document for Marcos.

At a press briefing the following day, Angeles called the order “illegal,” saying the President had never approved such plan. Marcos, who temporarily heads the DA, also chairs the SRA board.

At his first press conference as Chief Executive on July 5, Marcos said the government would increase local production of agricultural commodities instead of resorting to importation.

“Importation has been used as price stabilization measure. I don’t think that is the primary reason for the importation that we’ll do now,” Marcos said.

Thankful

Meanwhile, more sugar industry players have welcomed the President’s voiding of SO4.

“We are thankful that President Marcos vetoed the order as five mills in Negros Occidental already resumed operations,” said David Alba, general manager of the Asociacion de Agricultores de La Carlota y Pontevedra Inc. (AALCPI), the La Carlota Mill District Multi-Purpose Cooperative.

“With the start of the milling season, the need to import additional sugar is ill advised,” he said.

Alba said that based on data, four million bags of sugar entered the country through the previous SO3 import program.

“However, this sugar is not being made available to Juan de la Cruz since they are in the bodegas of the industrial users, the sector that is obviously given preferential treatment by SRA administrator Hermenegildo Serafica,” he said.

“Thus, to address the perceived sugar supply shortage in the country, we are recommending to President Marcos to reverse the SRA order and instead, release this sugar for the benefit of the consumers and retailers,” he said.

In a text message to The Philippine STAR/OneNews.ph, United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) president Manuel Lamata said there is no need for any importation since sugar supply would be coming by end-August as millers started milling operations last week.

“What I can assure you and the public is by the end of this month to middle of September, we will have local sugar flowing in the local market,” he said.

Lamata said their request to SRA for an inventory of all bodegas was never done.

“The warehouse of traders should be inspected by DTI (Department of Trade and Industry), BOC (Bureau of Customs), BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) and check if there are stocks or none because the pretext of SRA is we don’t have stocks,” he said.

The UNIFED official is also pushing for a revamp in the DA and the SRA, saying their officials “are not looking out for the interest of the industry.”

The fact that SO4 included importation of raw sugar when milling season has already started “indicates these people governing the very agency that is supposed to protect us are actually out to destroy us,” Lamata said.

UNIFED is the biggest sugar federation in the country while AALCPI is the biggest independent sugar association with 11,000 sugar farmer-members. 

Farmers’ group, Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) also lauded Marcos’ decision to reject the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar.

Sinag executive director Jayson Cainglet said the SRA and the DA should heed the marching order of the chief executive to support local production. – With Danessa Rivera