Tolentino: Charges to be recommended over Sugar Order No. 4 mess

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Tuesday wrapped up its investigation on the sugar importation controversy, with its chairman Senator Francis Tolentino saying the committee report would be released on Thursday.

At a press conference, Tolentino said the 10-page committee report would recommend the filing of charges against certain individuals over the release of Sugar Order No. 4 which Malacañang called illegal.

“Definitely, charges will be filed. Antayin niyo na lang. Dalawang tulog na lang ‘yun eh," Tolentino said.

(Definitely, charges will be filed. Just wait for it for just two more days.)

Sugar Order No. 4 mandated the importation of 300,000 tons of sugar, a move which Malacañang said was illegal.

It said the Sugar Regulatory Board had convened and issued a resolution without the approval of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.,  who's also the secretary of agriculture.

The agriculture secretary is also the board's chairperson.

Signatories of the questioned order, including Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, board member Atty. Roland Beltran, and Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) administrator Hermenegildo Serafica, have quit from their posts.

Asked if Sebastian or any SRA official will be found guilty of any wrongdoings, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said that there were violations committed.

“I will wait for the results of the report, but they have violated rules and procedures," Zubiri said.

"To the extent of what the penalties are and what the exact terminologies will be… I will leave it to the good gentleman from the Blue Ribbon Committee to come up with the findings,” he added.

“But as far as I’m concerned, there were violations of procedures, particularly on hastily signing SO Number 4,” Zubiri said.

At the third hearing on controversy on Tuesday, Serafica told the committee that Marcos had mentioned that 600,000 metric tons of sugar might need to be imported in the country.

Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez refuted this.

Tolentino said that there was no more need to summon Rodriguez on the matter.

Asked if the executive secretary was already off the hook, he said, “Just wait for the report.”

Rodriguez arrived at the Senate on Tuesday morning after the Blue Ribbon Committee voted to subpoena him to attend the hearing on the sugar importation mess. —NB, GMA News