Two groups filed graft charges against Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban of the Department of Agriculture before the Ombudsman on Monday, June 5, for his alleged role in allowing favored traders to import 250,000 metric tons of sugar into the country.
Roland dela Cruz for the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines-Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Council (Nacusip-ARB) and Elijah San Fernando for the the Alternatiba ng Masa party filed complaints against Panganiban for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code on usurpation of authority or official functions.
The case is in relation to what has been dubbed as the “sugar smuggling fiasco” in February where Panganiban allegedly allowed the importation of sugar without official authority to do so, and “legitimized” smuggled sugar belonging to All Asian Countertrade Inc., de la Cruz said in a press statement.
The groups alleged that on February 9 containers of sugar arrived at the Batangas Port without import permits, allegedly owned by All Asian Countertrade Inc.
However, Panganiban thereafter issued Sugar Order No. 6 granting importation and effectively “cured” the lack of a permit of the importation, dela Cruz said.
“Sugar farmers and workers in the sugar industry have been gravely affected by the sudden influx of imported sugar in the market. This is aggravated by the fact that what entered our country is smuggled sugar, seemingly facilitated by none other than a senior official of the Department of Agriculture. We cannot let this pass.”, said de la Cruz, NACUSIP-ARB Council director.
Fernando said that “it is deeply troublesome and bothering how the government agency tasked to protect our sugar farmers seems to be the one in cahoots with smuggling syndicates to the detriment of the Filipino people. They are not just depriving the government with much needed taxes, but also depriving our sugar farmers and workers with their source of livelihood.”*