Pimentel: Blue Ribbon shouldn't close sugar 'fiasco' probe until Rodriguez is cross-examined

The Senate blue ribbon committee probe on the sugar "fiasco" should not be terminated until Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez faces the panel for cross examination, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said Thursday.

"The blue ribbon investigation cannot and should not be closed until and unless we (some members) of the committee get to 'cross examine' ES Rodriguez on the testimony he gave," Pimentel said in a text message shared to reporters.

"This is our right as members of the blue ribbon committee and also as a matter of fairness to those he mentioned in his testimony in a very negative light," he added.

GMA News Online reached out to Rodriguez for comment on Pimentel's statement but has yet to receive a response as of posting time.

Pimentel made the statement after Senate blue ribbon chairman Francis Tolentino said that Rodriguez had informed him through a letter that he would skip the panel's succeeding hearings again due to a conflict with his schedule.

Rodriguez explained that he would focus on the preparations for the upcoming overseas trips of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who is slated to visit Indonesia and Singapore next week as well as the US later this month. 

The official, in his letter, also said he had already answered the senators’ questions on the alleged unauthorized issuance of Sugar Order 4, which would have allowed the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar into the country.

Rodriguez added that the resolution was only drafted and never materialized and that he is one with the Senate in addressing corruption.

Senator Risa Hontiveros also questioned Rodriguez's absence in the succeeding hearings.

"Why would ES Rodriguez be an exemption?  Wala pang 100 days, may excuse letter agad? Attendance na lang, hindi pa magawa. Takot ba sa recitation?" she asked.

(Why would ES Rodriguez be an exemption? Despite not having served in office for 100 days yet, there is already an excuse. Not even his attendance can be guaranteed. Is recitation something he fears?)

"Huwag naman sanang umabot sa puntong mapipilitan pa ang mga miyembro ng komite na mag-issue ng subpoena para lang pumunta si ES," she added.

(I hope it won't get to the point where the committee members have to subpoena the ES in order to make him appear at the hearing.) 

The opposition lawmaker said the motion to recall Rodriguez to the hearing still stands, noting that former high-ranking officials had appeared before the Senate to address various allegations.

"There were high-ranking officials and Cabinet secretaries who personally faced various allegations before the blue ribbon such as then Vice President Jejomar Binay and ES Jojo Ochoa," she said.

"So, I hope we get a chance to carry out our mandate dahil nag-aabang ng paliwanag ang industriya ng agrikultura at mamamayang Pilipino."

(So, I hope we get a chance to carry out our mandate because the agriculture industry and the Filipino people are waiting for his explanation.)

She then reiterated her position that someone might be feeding Malacañang misleading information and that this won't be resolved unless Rodriguez faces the committee.

"Kagabi lang ay released na ang barko na pinagbintangang may smuggled sugar dahil okay naman pala ang papeles. Someone seems to be feeding Malacañang misleading information, and now the question is, what are the motivations behind it? Habang patuloy na hindi humaharap si ES, lalong dumarami ang mga hinala. Walang nasasagot na tanong ang pag-iwas," she said.

(Just yesterday, the ship that allegedly contained smuggled sugar was released because it turned out that the documents were in order. Someone seems to be feeding Malacañang misleading information, and now the question is, what are the motivations behind it? The ES's continued absence from the committee hearings only fuels speculation. Being evasive will not provide a response to any query.)

Tolentino said that the next and final hearing on the sugar mess will be on Tuesday, September 6.

While he is “open” to other senators inviting Rodriguez to another hearing, the Blue Ribbon chairman remained firm on his decision to issue a partial report based on the findings from the hearings the committee conducted.

But Pimentel said Rodriguez's non-appearance in the next hearing was "not acceptable" and Tolentino's decision might weaken the committee.

"That decision by the chairman of the blue ribbon committee weakens his own committee which we should not allow," he said.

Further, the minority chief said that a partial report is not warranted anymore as the issue in this probe is simple, adding that the Blue Ribbon committee can already craft a final report after Rodriguez's testimony.

Rodriguez attended the first hearing but skipped the probe's continuation on Tuesday due to a Cabinet meeting.

In his opening statement during the first hearing, Rodriguez said they only learned during a meeting that the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) had passed a resolution, through Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, approving the Sugar Order No. 4 without submitting the import plan and without the knowledge of Marcos, who, as the concurrent secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), also sits as the chairman of the Sugar Board.

He also said he confronted Sebastian over the matter.

During the second hearing on SO 4, resigned SRA chief Hermenegildo Serafica said Marcos and Rodriguez did not raise any objection to the proposal to import sugar when the SRA raised the idea.—AOL/VBL, GMA News