Marcos, Bersamin urged to clarify alleged 'government-sponsored' sugar smuggling

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin could shed light on the alleged government-sponsored sugar smuggling, Senator Risa Hontiveros said Wednesday.

"Maaaring magsalita ang Malacanang. Hindi masama kasi lalo na't sila, si Presidente ang [Department of Agriculture] secretary at sa kabila ng marami nang problema natin sa agrikultura, madagdagan pa nito," Hontiveros said in a press conference a day after she disclosed the incident of alleged sugar smuggling.

"Nabanggit yung pangalan nila (Bersamin) sa mga sulat na kasabay lumabas sa ating kaalaman sa publiko at sa mga chat groups kasabay noong mga dokumento...Kung magsasalita si Presidente sa isyung ito, kung magsalita si ES sa isyung ito, ay makatutulong na linawin yung nangyari na at baka makatulong din na wag nang maulit 'yung ganitong mga pangyayari moving forward," she added.

GMA News Online sought Malacanang's comment on Hontiveros' latest remarks but they have yet to respond as of posting time.

On Tuesday, Hontiveros called for a Senate investigation into the February 9 arrival of 260 20-foot containers of sugar from Thailand.

The lawmaker said the arrival of the shipment on February 9 was not covered by earlier sugar orders. She said that the earliest possible date for imported sugar to enter the Philippines was March 1, 2023.

"Dahil hindi din sila sakop ng [Sugar Order] 6, na simula February 24 pa ang awarding ng allocation, there is no other conclusion but to say that these sugar shipments are smuggled," she said.

"What other conclusion can be drawn other than that this is government-sponsored smuggling? Who is responsible for this? Should it be subjected to the same level of laser scrutiny that subjected the actions of Usec [Leocadio] Sebastian, et al.?" she asked.

Recently, the Sugar Regulatory Administration released an order authorizing the importation of 440,000 MT of refined sugar even without the signature of Marcos, who sits as chairman of the SRA Board in his capacity as secretary of Agriculture.

The SO No. 6, uploaded on the SRA website, showed that the document was transmitted to the Office of the President on February 9, 2023.

The document was signed by the SRA Administrator David John Thaddeus Alba (vice-chairperson), SRA Board members Mitzi Mangwag (millers’ representative), and Pablo Luiz Azcona (planters’ representative).

Also signatory in the latest order was Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban.—LDF, GMA Integrated News