Senators grill former officials of the Sugar Regulatory Administration led by ex-chief Hermenegildo Serafica and former Department of Agriculture undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian during the continuation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged irregular sugar importation order on Tuesday, August 30, 2022. Joseph Vidal and Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB
MANILA (UPDATE) — The Senate Blue Ribbon committee on Thursday recommended filing charges against former and suspended agriculture officials over the controversial sugar importation order labelled "illegal" by Malacañang.
The committee sought charges against suspended Department of Agriculture undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, former Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Hermenegildo Serafica, and board members Ronald Beltran, and Aurelio Valderrama.
"There is preliminary evidence on record indicating that [the 4] have committed the administrative offense of serious dishonesty, grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and gross insubordination," the report read.
The panel also recommended the filing of several criminal complaints against the 4 over alleged violations of the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, and the Revised Penal Code.
The panel also requested the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to include the names of Sebastian, Serafica, Beltran, and Valderrama in the lookout bulletin order.
According to panel chairperson Sen. Francis Tolentino, 14 out of the 17 committee members signed the report, with 1 dissenting opinion.
Tolentino said he recommended the filing of charges against the 4 even if they invoked "good faith" because "the good faith presumption was rebutted.”
"There were facts established that they went beyond what was expected of them, bordering usurpation," Tolentino said in a press conference.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel manifested to the Blue Ribbon committee that the minority bloc is going to file a separate report regarding the sugar importation issue.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros said for her part said Sebastian was made to be a "fall guy."
"With due respect to the Chair, tila may ginawang fall guys... I believe Usec. Sebastian when he says he was of the good faith belief that the importation not only was necessary, it had the support of the Chief Executive," she said in a statement.
Agriculture officials led by Serafica and Sebastian approved last month Sugar Order No. 4 authorizing the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar. The order was later nullified by the Palace after claiming that Pres. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. did not agree to it.
— With a report from Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News
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