House panel prepares for briefing on sugar importation issue

The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability will hold a briefing on Monday, August 15, to discuss issues surrounding the sugar importation issue.

In a statement, committee chairperson San Jose del Monte Representative Florida Robes said they “want to be enlightened” on what really transpired on the issuance of the supposedly  illegal order to import 300,000 metric tons of sugar.

“Good governance requires transparency and accountability,"  Robes said, adding that the committee "has taken the task of pursuing transparency."

Last Wednesday, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said that President Bongbong Marcos had rejected proposals for the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar.

By Thursday, Cruz-Angeles said Sugar Order No. 4, which gave the green light for the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar, was “illegal” and that an investigation was ongoing over the “unauthorized” import document that appeared to be signed by Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian.

On Friday, the Palace official said Sebastian, in a letter dated August 11, resigned from his post as undersecretary for operations and chief of staff to the Secretary of Agriculture, a post President Marcos also holds.

Earlier,  Cruz Angeles pointed out that the President will not interfere in the conduct of the investigation.

In a separate interview on PTV, Cruz-Angles said that apart from Sebastian, all those who signed Sugar Order No. 4 were under investigation, and the probe would look into the extent of their involvement.

Apart from Sebastian, the importation order was signed by Sugar Regulatory Administration Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica, who is also the vice chairperson of the Sugar Regulatory Board, and board members Roland Beltran and Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama Jr. —LBG, GMA News