The Office of the President (OP) has absolved a former agriculture undersecretary and three Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) officials who are involved in the controversial Sugar Order no. 4 authorizing the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar into the country.
In the 10-page decision, the OP dismissed the administrative charges against former agriculture undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, former SRA administrator Hermenegildo Serafica, and former SRA board members Roland Beltran and Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama Jr.
"Here, the intent to deceive or misrepresent is absent sans any proof that respondents concealed the issuance of the subject order to the President. On the contrary, the attendant circumstances indicate respondents' intention to apprise the President as to the preparation of and approval of SO No. 4," the decision reads.
In September last year, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee recommended criminal and administrative charges against the four officials for committing offenses of serious dishonesty, grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and gross insubordination.
But the OP said SO No. 4 was "done in good faith", and there were no evidence that the "respondents were aware of their lack of authority" to issue the order.
It said that miscommunication happened due to the memorandum issued by former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez. In the memo, Rodriguez has given Sebastian the authority to sign contracts, memorandum of agreement, administrative issuance, and other financial documents.
"In the instant case, SO Number 4 was prepared as a directive by the President to come up with an importation plan, the draft of which was sent to then ES Rodriguez. Having raised no objections, therefore, respondents have assumed its approval," the OP stated.
The decision dated Dec. 29, 2022, was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin by the authority of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr.
