Enrique D. Rojas, president of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters, and Danilo Abelita, president of the Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers (l-r).*
Two planters’ federations lauded Malacaňang for absolving four former officials involved in the issuance of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Sugar Order No. 4, which authorized the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar last year.
Enrique D. Rojas, president of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP), and Danilo Abelita, president of the Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers (Panayfed), in a joint statement Friday, January 6, said that justice prevailed in the decision of the Office of the President clearing former Agriculture and SRA officials of wrongdoing in issuing the controversial sugar order.
“Justice is served by Malacaňang’s recent decision, which upheld that there was no bad faith, malice, misconduct nor dishonesty committed by the four officials in the issuance of Sugar Order No. 4. We have supported the sugar order right from the start, and we are happy for Confed president Aurelio ‘Bodie’ Valderrama, Jr. that this decision eventually cleared his name of any wrongdoing,” Rojas and Abelita said.
On Aug. 9, 2022, the Sugar Board issued Sugar Order No. 4, authorizing the importation of 300,000 MT sugar.
Comprising the Sugar Board were then Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, representing Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as agriculture secretary, SRA Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica, and SRA Board Members Valderrama representing the planters and Roland Beltran representing the millers.
Under the impression that he was authorized to sign the Sugar Order in behalf of president by virtue of a memorandum issued by then Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez, Sebastian signed the order, they said.
When the President learned of the sugar order, he disapproved it, prompting SRA to withdraw the sugar order.
Allegations of impropriety were hurled against the four officials, leading to a full-blown Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation, and an independent investigation by the Office of the President.
The NFSP, Panayfed and Confed, which make up more than 50 percent of national sugar production, had supported Valderrama amid all the allegations. The three federations issued public statements reiterating their belief in Valderrama’s good faith and honesty.
Recently, the Office of the President released the result of its investigation, duly approved and signed by the new Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
The decision absolved the four of any liability as to the offenses charged, and dismissed the case against them.
Valderrama called the dismissal of the case lodged against him and other former members of the Sugar Board a vindication, which was nothing short of a miracle.*