Sacked chief of sugar administration links new head to contract that led to her removal
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has appointed a new chief at the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) who allegedly also had a hand in approving the “exorbitant” pay for consultancy services, the very act that earned Mr. Duterte’s ire.
A copy of the appointment paper was shown to reporters on Tuesday by Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol.
According to his resume posted on the SRA Web site, Mr. Hermenegildo R. Serafica, previously the planters’ representative to the SRA board, was also president of HR Serafica Plantation Corp., HFT& E Serafica Realty, Inc., H Serafica & Sons Corp., F. S. Serafica Enterprises, Inc., and the Leyte Cane Planters Association, Inc.
To note, Mr. Serafica has long been Mr. Piñol’s choice for the SRA, even before resigned Administrator Anna Rosario V. Paner took the helm of the agency last June.
Speaking for the first time to the media after submitting her resignation directly to Malacañang last month, Ms. Paner confirmed that she received on Monday the President’s acceptance letter of the resignation she tendered in August.
The former chief said she was breaking her silence in response to news reports that Mr. Piñol named Mr. Serafica and millers’ representative to the SRA board lawyer Roland B. Beltran as those exposing to him the “exorbitant” hiring of consultancy services for a disaster risk and reduction management ( DRRM) project.
The officials were not briefed on the nature of the deal, Mr. Piñol said, as he recalled a dialogue with board members on the matter. “Ang pagkakaexplain nila Serafica at saka nila Beltran (According to what Serafica and Beltran explained), although
hindi formal explanation, they were made to sign the appointment. And when they realized that it was the end, it was exorbitant, nagreklamo sila ( they objected),” Mr. Piñol reiterated in a press briefing on Tuesday.
Messrs. Serafica and Beltran were sought for comment but could not be contacted as of press time.
“This is also why I chose to break my silence because I have reason to believe that the President was misinformed by the so- called whistle- blowers which formed the basis of the President’s misgivings on SRA,” Ms. Paner said during a Tuesday briefing in Quezon City.
She claimed that the alleged whistleblowers have been involved in the controversial DRRM project from the beginning.
“In Dec. 2016, the SRA board, which of course, includes Serafica and Beltran, approved the terms of reference and gave me the authority to sign the contracts. In fact, to refresh the memory, they were present in the signing of the contract in January 2017 and hailed the act which they endorsed and which was published in the SRA Web site,” Ms. Paner said.
“On May 10, 2017, the draft DRRM plan was presented to the board, including Serafica and Beltran and the SRA managers. This draft was approved. The DRRM project was indeed completed within the timeframe agreed upon and it was launched at the SRA office in June 2017. In attendance during the launch (were) board members Beltran and Serafica...” she added.
“We’re dealing with board members here — one is a lawyer and one is an engineer. Last Dec. 2 2016, to be specific, the policy and planning department of the SRA issued a memorandum requesting... the approval of the D project on the formulation of the DRRM Plan. It was explained sufficiently what the project is all about(,) making reference to the CoA (Commission on Audit) findings,” Mr. Paner said.
The former SRA chief was referring to a letter dated June 15, 2016, sent earlier to reporters.
“We recommended that Management develop pertinent policies and strategies on the implementation of the DRRMP and allocate ( a) corresponding annual budget to ensure non- disruption on the production of sugarcanes/sugar in case of calamities and disasters,” read CoA’s letter.
Ms. Paner also sought to explain the matter of the infamous P1.2- million fee — inclusive of taxes — for the lead consultant of the project, a payment also approved by board members in the Dec. 16, 2016 meeting and which was supposed to be delivered within a period of one year.
“The consultant told me that it would take a year to a year- and- a- half to come up with a DRRM plan because it was a plan not just for SRA but for the planters, millers, the whole industry. But I insisted that it be done in six months. So instead of the P1.2 million being spread into one year, it was spread into six months but still based on actual deliverables,” Ms. Paner said.
“Let me categorically say, I did not gain anything from any contracts that SRA
entered into including for this lead consultant,” Ms. Paner said, while noting that the consultant paid the P200,000 per month whom Mr. Duterte had mentioned was an expert in disaster risk reduction and management, having been former executive director of the Office of Civil Defense of the Department of National Defense
Asked if she would suggest that the President look into the case of Mr. Beltran and his recent appointee Mr. Serafica, Ms. Paner said: “It’s the President’s prerogative. It’s a good practice that he should look into each appointee.”
Sought for comment, the Agriculture chief acknowledged that he had an issue with SRA’s slow utilization of its budget allocated to the government-owned andcontrolled corporation by the Sugar Industry Development Act (SIDA) of 2015.
“The period that she acted as administrator, napakabagal nung fund utilization ng SRA ( fund utilization in the SRA was really slow). And I don’t know if it’s in her
working habit pero hindi siya masyado
nag- cocoordinate sa DA (she didn’t coordinate much with the DA). Gumagawa sila ng mga major decisions na hindi nacoconsult ang DA. ( They were making major decisions without consulting the DA.) Yung hiring of consultant ( The hiring of consultants) for example... Kung na- refer
sakin yun di sila madadali dun ( If they were referred to me, the process would be faster),” Mr. Pinol said.
To recall, however, the SRA said it received its first fund disbursement under the SIDA law only in September 2016, as the election period that year disrupted delivery of funds.
“What’s the problem with that? May involvement siya sa pagsign ng ( She’s involved in the signing of the) resolution appointing the consultants receiving such exorbitant fees? Let’s conduct an investigation,” Mr. Piñol said, while adding that the appointment was the President’s prerogative when asked about the chosen chief.
However, the agriculture chief said he will only conduct an investigation if Ms. Paner files a complaint.
“Tiyaka dapat forward na sa Presidente (She should forward the complaint to the President)... File na ng kaso kung may ( File a case if there’s) corruption,” said Mr. Piñol.
On Tuesday, a few minutes prior to receiving a copy of the appointment letter from the Office of the President, Mr. Piñol announced issuing an order to appoint Mr. Serafica as the new officer- in- charge of the SRA.