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‘You cannot hide:’ JV Ejercito blasts absence of sugar officials, lack of action plan

September 06, 2024

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Tuesday slammed officials of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) for snubbing the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearing this week and failing to show a plan of action on the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SIDA).

During the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s third hearing on the recent sugar importation fiasco, Ejercito warned the SRA that its officials “cannot hide from the Senate” because they will be attending the Upper Chamber’s deliberations on the budget of the Department of Agriculture. 

“I hope they can show up when we would want to know their plan of action. Magkikita pa tayo sa budget hearing. Remember, you cannot hide. May budget hearing pa ang DA. Pag natago pa kayo nang nagtago, magkikita pa tayo sa budget hearing,” he said.

“Please relay. Kasi naka-dalawa na. Di niyo dapat inii-snub ang Blue Ribbon kasi you cannot hide from us,” he added.

SRA Deputy Administrator for Regulations Guillermo Tejida explained that members of the Sugar Board, the agency’s governing body, could not attend the hearing since they had to attend a meeting of the Governance Commission for Government-owned or Controlled Corporations.

The remark irked Ejercito, who then blasted the SRA for refusing to use the opportunity to explain its side on its failure to fully implement the SIDA.

The lawmaker pointed out that such failure, as well as the agency’s inclination towards importation, resulted in the non-utilization of the P2 billion budget allotted initially for the implementation of the said law.

“Ang una, ang excuse, na-COVID. They were under quarantine. Ngayon, wala kasi nasa GCG naman. How will we get to the bottom of this? Because in aid of legislation, kaya nga tayo naririto, we want to improve the implementation of the SIDA Law,” Ejercito said.

“Nanghihinayang tayo. Six, seven years have passed and we’re back to square one because of too much importation,” he added.

Sugar stakeholders, including United Sugar Producers Federation president Manuel Lamata, agreed with Ejercito’s observation..

“It wasn’t administered well. It wasn’t implemented well [...] Kung natuto lang ‘tong administrator na ito, ang dami-daming tractor na nabili, ang dami-daming irrigation units, ang daming naitulong,” Lamata said.