Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez on Tuesday admitted on receiving the draft of the controversial Sugar Order No. 4 which allows the import 300,000 metric tons (MT) of sugar into the country.
This was disclosed by Rodriguez during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, wherein he also narrated the meetings that transpired before the issuance of the controversial order.
According to Rodriguez, his office received the draft of SO 4 from resigned Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Hermenegildo Serafica and a memorandum recommending the importation from former Agriculture Undersecretary Leo Sebastian on August 5.
However, he ignored the order since President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. directed him to ensure that SO 4 "will not come out and it is of no force and effect."
Rodriguez then received a test from Sebastian two days after, asking if the President already has instructions on the issues of sugar, farming modernization, and fertilizers for farmers.
"I purposely did not answer him dahil wala pa pong tugon ang Pangulo sa tatlong bagay na ito [because the President has no response on the three matters]," he said.
It was in August 10, while they were in a meeting, that Rodriguez learned that the order was passed by Sebastian despite not being approved by Marcos, who also sits as the chief of the Department of Agriculture.
The Palace, later on, released a statement saying that the Chief Executvie rejected the proposal.
"I confronted Usec Leo Sebastian and asked him why he did such a thing behind the President’s back—without the President’s knowledge and in an unfair and dishonorable way,” Rodriguez said.
Sebastian along with SRA board member Atty. Roland Beltran, and SRA administrator Hermenegildo Serafica have all tendered their resignation following the sugar importation issue.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, in the same hearing, criticized Rodriguez's revelation and said that he should have brought the order that he received on Aug. 4 to the President.
“This could have been a simple policy debate on the sterile question of do we need more sugar? Pero bakit may packaging na niloloko ang Pangulo, bakit pinapalabas na may panglilinlang? Why suggest na first time mo nadinig na may Sugar Order No. 4, when you were informed and kept in the loop as early as Aug. 5?” Hontiveros said.
Rodriguez had to leave the hearing early to attend a Cabinet meeting and was no longer present when Hontiveros spoke.
