PBBM ordered sugar importation being questioned by senator, Panganiban says
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued the sugar import order to members of the inter-agency group created to monitor the movement of the supply and prices of food and commodities, a Department of Agriculture (DA) official said.
“It was President Marcos himself who ordered the importation of sugar —by selected importers—to address inflationary pressures and keep the prices of the commodity in the market from rising further,” Senior Agriculture
Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said during a Senate hearing on Tuesday.
“He [President Marcos] said, ‘let’s import through selected importers of sugar,’” he told the Senate Blue Ribbon committee chaired by Sen. Francis Tolentino.
The committee was hearing allegations of “government-sponsored sugar smuggling” raised by Sen. Risa Hontiveros.
Panganiban was apparently referring to the importation of 440,000 metric tons of sugar allegedly without the approval from the Sugar Regulatory
Administration (SRA).
He said Marcos issued the import instruction after a meeting with members of the inter-agency group created to monitor the movement of the supply and prices of food and commodities.
Panganiban said Marcos, who concurrently sits as DA Secretary, had acknowledged that domestic production of sugar would not be enough to meet local demand.
He also said the President based his instruction on a report submitted by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) that the price of sugar was already causing inflationary pressure son other goods.
“The President called me and told me about the situation on inflation. The President said the inflation of sugar is too high at 8.7 percent, according to Balisacan,” Panganiban said, referring to Neda Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.
“On that basis, the President recommended the importation immediately because of the high cost of sugar in the market and the inflation rate ,” he added.
Moreover, Panganiban clarified that the President did not name the sugar importers.