“It was unfortunate that the blue ribbon report had failed or purposely refrained to discuss the part played by the ES (Executive Secretary) in this unfortunate debacle.”
Ito ang ginawang pagsopla ni Senador Risa Hontiveros kay blue ribbon committee chair Francis Tolentino matapos maglabas ito ng hilaw na report makaraan lang ng tatlong araw na pagdinig hinggil sa sugar importation scandal.
Sa committee report, inirekomenda nito ang pagsasampa ng kaso sa apat na opisyal ng Department of Agriculture at Sugar Regulatory Administration dahil sa pagpapalabas ng Sugar Order No. 4 na hindi naman inaprubahan ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos.
Sa nasabi ring committee report, walang pagtukoy na ginawa sa naging partisipasyon ni Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez, na ayon naman kay Hontiveros ay masasabing may naging sablay rin o “is not blameless”.
Matatandaan na nauna nang kinuwestyon ni Hontiveros ang tila pagmamadali ng blue ribbon committee ni Tolentino, na tapusin ang imbestigasyon, lalo pa’t may mga isyung hindi pa natalakay nang husto.
Gayunman, kailangan maglabas ng sarili nitong report ang minorya hinggil sa sinasabi nitong may sablay pa rin si Rodriguez hinggil sa inisyung Sugar Order 4.
Narito ang kadahilanan na inisa-isa ng minorya:
“There is a clear, actual, indubitable, and undeniable existing sugar shortage, which is dangerous if insufficiently and/or inadequately addressed. Executive Secretary Victor D. Rodriguez is not entirely blameless in the so-called fiasco behind Sugar Order (SO) No. 4.
“The series of actions of Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica, and board members Ronald Beltran and Aurelio Valderrama Jr. had overwhelming badges of good faith.
“The recommendation of the majority to initiate administrative and criminal charges against Usec. Sebastian et al., and to issue a lookout bulletin are lacking factual and legal basis.
Sa press conference, sinabi naman ni Hontiveros na nagkulang si Rodriguez na bigyang proteksyon ang kanyang principal o si Pangulong Bongbong Marcos.
