ASAHAN na kokontrahin ng minority ang inilabas na report ng Senate blue ribbon committee na nagrerekomenda ng pagsasampa ng kaso laban sa apat na opisyal ng Department of Agriculture at Sugar Regulatory Administration, at paglilinis naman kay Executive Secretary Vic Rodrdiguez, kaugnay sa sugar importation scandal.
Ayon kay Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III na maglalabas sila ng sariling report hinggil sa isinagawang tatlong araw na imbestigasyon ng blue ribbon committee na pinangungunahan ni Senador Francis Tolentino hinggil sa Sugar Order No. 4.
Nauna nang sinabi ng opposition Senator na si Risa Hontiveros na “fall guys” ang apat na opisyal na inirekomendang kasuhan ng komite.
Sa report na inilabas ng komite ni Tolentino, pinasasampahan sa Ombudsman ng kasong graft sina Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, dating SRA Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica, at board members Roland Beltran and Aurelio Valderrama Jr. dahil sa diumano’y corrupt practices, paglabag sa Republic Act No. 10845, o anti-agricultural smuggling law, at usurpation of authority.
“These are the basic facts: there were people who were persistently asking for approval or a decision or feedback, and they request for info or advice or decision, and they were purposely not replied to, and now you want them to go to jail?” naunang sinabi ni Pimentel.
“I believe we should be more forgiving this time because what we saw in the hearings is the miscommunication or lack of communication (between Malacañang and the SRA),” dagdag pa ni Pimentel.
Naniniwala naman si Hontiveros na “fall guys” lamang ang apat matapos baliktarin ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos ang naunang pahayag tungkol sa pag-aangkat ng 300,000 metriko toneladang asukal.
“Of course, the President can retract orders and override policy, but I believe Sebastian when he says he was, [in] good faith, of the belief that the importation not only was necessary, it had the support of the Chief Executive,” ani Hontiveros.
Nauna na ring nagpahayag si Hontiveros na hindi sana agad tinapos ni Tolentino ang pagdinig sa nasabing isyu lalo pa’t may bagong rebelasyon si Serafica na si Marcos Jr., umano mismo ang nagpalutang ng ideya na umangkat ng 600,000 metriko toneladang asukal.
