He also said to “just wait for the report” when asked if Rodriguez was already off the hook based on the latest hearing, where former Sugar Regulatory Administration chief Hermenegildo Serafica claimed that Marcos asked for the possibility of importing 600,000 MT.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 6) — Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez showed up at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing into the sugar importation fiasco after more than an hour after he was subpoenaed on Tuesday.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. himself instructed his right-hand man to attend the Senate inquiry as a sign of respect.
After Rodriguez skipped the hearing for the second time on Tuesday, the panel voted in an executive session through secret balloting to act on the motion of opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros to compel the top official to show up in the inquiries.
Eleven members of the committee voted yes, three no, while three senators abstained.
“I would like to sincerely apologize if there is… we have to resort to the issuance of a subpoena to compel my presence today,” Rodriguez said at the hearing. “I have no intention whatsoever to disrespect the honorable members of the Senate and the Senate as an institution.”
Rodriguez earlier told the Blue Ribbon panel that his absence in the third hearing was prompted by the President’s orders. He attended the first one.
“I regret to inform the Senate that per instructions of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. I will not be able to attend the hearings,” he said in a sworn letter read during the early part of the meeting.
He added that he is willing to answer questions from the committee through a written response.
Rodriguez previously revealed that he received a draft of the controversial Sugar Order No. 4 that would allow the importation of 300,000 metric tons (MT) of sugar, but ignored it since Marcos has not decided on it then.
Hontiveros said Rodriguez’ attendance in the hearings is necessary to shed light on his role in the sugar importation controversy.
“Hindi naman po yata tama na si ES, who leads the bureaucracy in service of the President, government, and the people, ay ligtas at sitting pretty habang ang matatapat na civil servants at career employees ay ginagawang fall guys. We cannot let the head of the bureaucracy get away scot-free,” the opposition senator said.
[Translation: It’s not right that the executive secretary, who leads the bureaucracy in service of the President, government, and the people, is safe while career employees are used as fall guys.]
Four officials who signed the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s order to import sugar have tendered their resignation after Marcos rejected it as the agriculture chief and chairman of the sugar board.
Blue Ribbon chairman Francis Tolentino said in a briefing that the committee’s report will be ready by Thursday.
