WHO is lying? The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Tuesday was put in a quandary on who was telling the truth over a supposed sugar import proposal of 600,000 metric tons (MT) allegedly floated by no less than President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., which Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez categorically denied, and one sugar miller described as a “lie.”
The continuation of the Senate’s inquiry on the infamous sugar order (SO) 4 import fiasco led to new surprises and confusion after new information was divulged by a resource speaker.
At the fourth and final Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Tuesday, former Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Hermenegildo R. Serafica revealed that Marcos floated an import proposal of 600,000 MT in an “online” meeting last August 4, information he withheld in previous testimony, causing a furor among senators.
Serafica testified that he told the President during the “online” meeting that 600,000 MT of sugar imports is “too much” since some mills have started to accept canes and will soon operate to produce raw sugar.
The “online” meeting, which Serafica was referring to, was also attended by Executive Secretary Rodriguez and former SRA board member Aurelio Valderrama, the former SRA chief said.
“During that online meeting with the President and [Executive Secretary], [Valderrama] was there, the President mentioned a volume of 600,000 metric tons and I said ‘Mr. President, that may be too much,’” Serafica told lawmakers during the hearing. Serafica added that Valderrama can confirm what he just revealed, which Valderrama did later.
Tolentino grills Serafica
Blue Ribbon Committee head Sen. Francis Tolentino grilled Serafica on why he only divulged such details during Tuesday’s proceedings.
The committee has held four hearings since late August, including Tuesday’s, regarding the so-called “fiasco” behind SO 4, which would have authorized the importation of 300,000 metric tons of raw and refined sugar.
The inquiry was sparked by a privilege speech by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.
“For the record, it is only now that this 600,000 MT is being divulged and even the online meeting. You have a lot of new disclosures Mr. Serafica, which were not present in your previous testimonies and sworn statements,” Tolentinto said.
“This is the first time we heard about 600,000 metric tons. Why are you just disclosing this today? Why are you voluntarily disclosing it now?” Tolentino added.
Tolentino said Serafica must be making the “new” revelations to “escape further scrutiny” by dragging the President’s name into the table. “This information should have been laid down as preliminaries during the first hearing,” he said.
“With all due respect, that was really said [by the President],” Serafica responded.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros came to Serafica’s defense, arguing that Rodriguez, who has been absent in previous blue ribbon panel hearings, should clarify concerns on the 600,000 MT import volume allegedly floated by Marcos.
Serafica also revealed that there was no objection coming from Malacañang—either from Marcos or Rodriguez—regarding the 300,000 MT import proposal approved by the SRA board.
“Why this messy fiasco? When there was even no objection to the 300,000-metric ton proposal?” Hontiveros said.
Serafica’s ‘600,000 MT’ claim a lie
United Sugar Producers Federation President Manuel Lamata refuted Serafica’s recent revelations and even called the former SRA chief a “liar.”
Lamata, who was questioned by Tolentino regarding Serafica’s newest disclosures, responded that he was not aware of either an import proposal of about 600,000 MT nor an online August 4 meeting between top government officials.
“My best friend—Mr. Serafica—is saying a lie. He is lying,” Lamata told lawmakers on Tuesday.
The arguments over the “600,000-MT” claim became heated when Senate President Zubiri joined the interpellations.
Zubiri accompanied Rodriguez to the panel hearing after the latter was subpoenaed by the committee to attend the inquiry.
Zubiri manifested that he does not believe that the idea of a 600,000 MT volume of sugar imports came from the President nor the ES.
He wondered how the President can propose an import volume of 600,000 MT if the chief executive had rejected the SRA board’s proposal of 300,000 MT.
“With all due respect to our dear President, he said 600,000 MT and I told him that Mr. President, it may be too much,” Serafica said.
“The President rejected 300,000 MT, what more is 600,000 MT? I do not believe that the President has said that. You better clarify Mr. Serafica, you are very close to being cited for contempt,” Zubiri rebutted.
Rodriguez emphasized that the President never floated an import volume in previous meetings with SRA officials. Rodriguez argued that if Marcos was not even convinced of the 300,000-MT import proposal then why would the chief executive propose the importation of 600,000 MT?
“I categorically deny that there was an instruction from the President to even consider or to import 600,000 MT. There is no such pronouncement or orders from the President,” he said.
Image credits: senate.gov.ph