ABSOLVED. The Office of the President (OP) releases a 10-page decision absolving former agriculture and sugar administration executives and dismissing sugar importation charges against them, signed on Thursday (Dec. 29, 2022). The OP said there was no clear evidence that the former officials have signed and released in bad faith Sugar Order 4, which allowed the supposed importation of 300,000 metric tons of refined sugar. (Screengrab)
MANILA – Former officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) were cleared of any liability for sugar import charges following the ruling of the Office of the President.
These include respondents former DA Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, former SRA Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica, and SRA board members Roland Beltran and Aurelio Valderrama Jr.
In a 10-page decision, the OP dismissed the case against former DA and SRA executives, stating that they have made the move in good faith, thinking “they were authorized.”
“From the totality of the evidence, this Office finds that the issuance of SO (Sugar Order) 4 was done in good faith absent any showing that the respondents were aware of their lack of authority. Here, respondents thought they were authorized because of miscommunication,” it stated.
The decision noted that a memorandum from then Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez was the source of miscommunication for the respondents, particularly for Sebastian.
The said memo was used as a reference for what they thought was inclusive of the “granted authority,” which involves “signing contracts, memorandum of agreements, administrative issuances, and instruments, among others.”
“The root miscommunication is the Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated 15 July 2022 with the subject Designation as Undersecretary for Operations of the Department of Agriculture (DA), and Grant of Additional Authorities and Functions,” it indicated.
The SO 4 was also a draft they secured, in accordance with the directive of President and concurrent DA chief Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., to prepare a sugar importation plan.
This evidence was concluded to debunk the insinuation that the former executives have a united effort to conceal the move behind.
“The manner by which Sebastian signed his name, over the printed name of the President, while not in accordance with the proper protocol, in the absence of bad faith, does not confer liability, particularly because there is no indication that he knew the implications thereof,” it said.
The ruling also said that there was “no clear evidence” that the respondents committed misconduct and dishonesty, but it also stated they are to be “admonished.”
“Respondents are admonished to be more prudent and circumspect in the performance of their duties,” it added.
Prior to the dismissal of the case, the said respondents faced charges for alleged grave misconduct, grave dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, following the issuance of SO 4, which permits the supposed importation of 300,000 metric tons of refined sugar last August.
All respondents, however, tendered their resignation before the sugar fiasco probe. (PNA)
