Inihayag ng Malakanyang nitong Huwebes na ilegal umano ang inilabas na Sugar Order No. 4, na nagbibigay ng direktiba na mag-angkat ang bansa ng 300,000 metriko toneladang asukal.
Ayon kay Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, iniimbestigahan na ang “unauthorized” signing sa dokumentong nag-aatas na mag-angkat ng asukal.
“This resolution is illegal. The chairman of the Sugar Regulatory Board is President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. As such chairman, he sets the date of any meetings and convening of the Sugar Regulatory Board and its agenda. No such meeting was authorized by the President nor such a resolution was likewise authorized,” sabi ni Cruz-Angeles.
“An investigation is ongoing to determine whether any acts that would cause the President to lose trust and confidence in his officials can be found or if there is malice or negligence involved. In such a case, if such findings are made, then the only determination left will be how many heads will roll,” dagdag niya.
Dagdag pa ni Cruz-Angeles, hindi inaprubahan ni Marcos ang pulong ng Sugar Regulatory Board patungkol sa gagawing pag-angkat ng asukal.
“He did not approve the convening. You can only convene the board with the ascent, explicit ascent of the President, and he didn’t make such an agreement,” saad ni Cruz-Angeles.
Ayon sa opisyal, lumilitaw sa dokumento na si Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian ang nakapirma.
“He was not authorized to sign such resolution ‘cause the President did not authorize the importation. Importations are sensitive matter particularly with regard to agricultural importations. Sugar is one such importation which we take great care with. It is a balancing act,” sabi pa ni Cruz-Angeles.
Dapat umanong pag-aralang mabuti ang importation process, “to protect both the consumer against the rising prices of basic commodities while ensuring at the same time that we do not destroy the local industry.”
Bagaman iniimbestigahan, sinabi ni Cruz-Angeles na sa ngayong ay walang preventive suspension na ipinataw sa mga opisyal na sinisiyasat.
“Naniniwala din ang Presidente sa due process. Tingnan natin ang dahilan kung bakit minadali nila ito, nag-convene sila nang walang kaalam-alam ang Presidente and bibigyan sila ng pagkakataon i-explain ‘yung panig nila,” ayon kay Cruz-Angeles.
Sinabi rin ng Press Secretary na nagpalabas ng kautusan si Executive Secretary Atty. Victor Rodriguez na bumuo ng importation plan para sa asukal.
Layunin umano nito na alamin kung kailangan ba talagang mag-angkat ng asukal at kung makakaapekto ba ito sa panahon ng anihan sa Setyembre.