DA, Duterte to discuss SRA abolition

The Department of Agriculture (DA) plans to talk to President Duterte regarding the proposed abolition of its attached agency, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, who chairs the SRA Board, said he would soon talk with the President but maintained that he would support whatever decision the President may come up with.

“I will still talk to the President about it. I will brief him regarding SRA, but I will just abide with his decision,” Piñol told The STAR.

Duterte over the weekend vowed to abolish SRA after slamming the agency for hiring consultants who get paid at least P200,000 a month, even higher than his salary.

While Duterte did not name SRA chief Anna Rosario Paner, Piñol said Paner has already tendered her resignation.

However, Piñol admitted that he has not received any official document from Paner.

“We have endorsed a new SRA board member, Dino Yulo, to replace Paner. I have also endorsed board member Hermenegildo Serafica as the new SRA administrator,” he said.

Emilio “Dino” Yulo III is the spokesperson of industry group Sugar Alliance of the Philippines and former Negros Occidental vice governor. Serafica, on the other hand, has been the original bet of Piñol even before Paner was appointed.

Furthermore, the SRA itself seems to be in limbo as to the real status of its agency’s head, saying no official document has been circulating within the agency about Paner’s resignation.

A source and close-in of the SRA Board, who refused to be named, said there has been no official statement from Paner as of last week.

“We are also confused in SRA. There is no official statement from her (Paner), no instructions from her, nothing that says that she has resigned already,” the source