AGRICULTURE Under-secretary Domingo Panganiban was haled to the Office of the Ombudsman by a group of sugar workers for his role in the alleged illegal importation of sugar in February 2023.
The National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines-Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (NACUSIP-ARB) Council and ALTERNATIBA Party-List filed a case in the Ombudsman for violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code on usurpation of authority or official functions.
The groups dubbed the series of acts that led to the entry of imported sugar into the country—before the documents authorizing such —as the “Sugar Smuggling Fiasco.” Panganiban allegedly allowed the importation of sugar without official authority to do so, and “legitimized” smuggled sugar belonging to All Asian Countertrade Inc.
The BusinessMirror try to get the side of Panganiban but until press time, did not get any word from the undersecretary.
The groups allege that on February 9, 2023, at least 260 x 20ft containers containing sugar arrived in Batangas Port without import permits, allegedly owned by All Asian Countertrade Inc.
However, Panganiban thereafter issued Sugar Order No. 6 and effectively “cured” the lack of permit of the said importation by issuing a Memorandum and referred to the said shipment of All Asian Countertrade Inc.
“Panganiban used his position as the Senior Undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture to direct three importers including All Asian Countertrade Inc. to import sugar without the necessary Sugar Order [SO] as early as January 2023,” the complainants said.
Moreover, the groups alleged that the official also undermined and usurped the functions of the Sugar Regulatory Board.
They said that only the SRA has the power to issue an SO.
The complainants also added that “there was no Sugar Order to warrant the importation of All Asian Countertrade Inc. of sugar that arrived in the Batangas Port on February 9, 2023.”
“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 Roland de la Cruz, Board of Director of Nacusip-ARB Council.
Elijah San Fernando, the General Secretary of ALTERNATIBA Party-List, also 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 of much needed taxes, but also depriving our sugar farmers and workers of their source of livelihood.”