Senate panel votes to subpoena Rodriguez to sugar probe

Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez on Tuesday failed to appear again before the Senate blue ribbon committee's hearing into the sugar importation controversy, which prompted Senator Risa Hontiveros to move to subpoena him — a motion that was approved by the panel in an executive session.

During the third hearing on the Sugar Order No. 4, panel chairman Senator Francis Tolentino said Rodriguez sent a letter dated August 30 to excuse himself from the probe, citing his preparations for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s state visits in Indonesia and Singapore this week.

“The contents would probably can be summarized of his non-attendance because he will be attending to some events that would require his presence, specifically the preparations for the state visits, among others,” Tolentino said.

In a separate letter dated September 6, Rodriguez reiterated that he will not be able to attend the hearing “per instructions of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.”

He, however, said that he is “willing to answer written inquiries” regarding the unauthorized issuance of Sugar Order No. 4.

Hontiveros raises concern

Hontiveros raised concern about this, asking why Marcos would order Rodriguez to skip the hearing and why the Executive Secretary would dictate the committee on how he should respond to the queries.

“His answers can be validated and cross-examined immediately by checking with the other resource persons, many of them are also here in person. Kaya importanteng in person din humarap si ES or at the very least via Zoom,” she said.

“Concerning po ito, Mr. Chair. On what basis ini-instruct ni Presidente ang pinakamataas na opisyal ng bureaucracy na hindi dumalo sa pagdinig ng isang Senate Committee, the Blue Ribbon committee at that.”

Rodriguez also skipped the second hearing into the sugar importation mess due to a Cabinet meeting held at the same time of the committee hearing.

Hontiveros questioned Rodriguez’s absence, saying he could have attended the hearing virtually even if he had to be elsewhere to prepare for Marcos’ overseas trips.

Due to this, Hontiveros moved to subpoena the Executive Secretary to make himself available in future hearings on the same issue.

“Puwede naman silang humarap sa pagtatanong ng blue ribbon via Zoom… This will be the third time that the Executive Secretary will not be making himself available to directly answer questions from the blue ribbon,” she said.

“If this is the case, Mr. Chair and with the indulgence of the Chair, may I therefore proceed to formally move to subpoena the Executive Secretary, an extraordinary step simply to secure ‘yung presensya nila or at least yung pagharap nila live via Zoom as Blue Ribbon to once and for all, after three attempts on the part of the honorable committee to invite his presence, I so move Mr. Chair,” she added.

Executive session

Tolentino then called to suspend the hearing and conduct an executive session “due to the sensitivity of the matter.”

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, who seconded Hontiveros’ motion, asked the committee not to course the subpoena voting through an executive session so as to not raise doubts among the public.

“What’s the big drama? Hindi ko po talaga maintindihan, Mr. Chairman,” he said.

The executive session pushed through with Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa asking Pimentel not to doubt the committee’s integrity when it conducted an executive session, considering that Hontiveros was also there.

As a result, Tolentino announced that 11 out of the 14 participating members of the committee voted to subpoena Rodriguez, three voted no, and three abstained.

Tolentino said he already signed the subpoena duces tecum and subpoena ad testificandum, directing Rodriguez to appear before the Committee.

Shortly after these events, Rodriguez arrived at the Senate building, as shown in a video tweet posted by Tolentino. He went on to appear and testify during the day's hearing.

Earlier statement

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 SO 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, 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.

Sugar is in the spotlight following the controversial issuance of SO 4, which was later deemed “illegal” by Malacañang as it was signed without the knowledge and expressed approval of Marcos, who currently heads the Department of Agriculture.  —KBK, GMA News