DA Senior Usec. Panganiban takes over as SRA OIC

Department of Agriculture (DA) Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban has taken over the reins of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) as officer-in-charge (OIC), nearly a month after the post was vacated by David Alba, SRA Board Member Pablo Luis Azcona said on Wednesday.

“In the meantime, Usec. Panganiban is the OIC,” Azcona told reporters in a Zoom interview.

“As per SRA charter, in the event that there is no administrator, the chairman of the board takes over as the OIC until an administrator is appointed or the board assigns another OIC usually the most senior deputy administrator,” he said.

On March 24, Malacañang announced that Alba resigned as SRA chief due to his “worsening health condition.” 

Alba also insisted that his resignation was purely due to health reasons and had nothing to do with the controversial importation of 400,000 metric tons of sugar.

In designating Panganiban as OIC, Azcona said the senior undersecretary is the chairman of the SRA Board, representing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. —who concurrently sits as secretary of Agriculture.

“The urgency of having an OIC is very important because we still have importation coming in and we are still continuing to come out with the import clearances,” he said.

Azcona said Panganiban will handle daily routine activities at the SRA until a new OIC is appointed.

The most senior deputy administrator of the SRA will most probably be appointed as new OIC or administrator, he said. — RSJ/VBL, GMA Integrated News