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HINDI ikinalugod ni Sen. Risa Hontiveros ang pag-upo ng isang senior official ng Department of Agriculture (DA) sa tanggapan kung saan siya nasangkot sa malaking bulilyaso.
Para kay Hontiveros, kawalan ng moralidad at delikadesa ang pagbabalik ni Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban sa Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
Sa halip aniya na kastigong katapat ng paglagda sa Sugar Order No. 4 ng walang permiso sa Palasyo, gantimpalang pwesto bilang administrador ang nasungkit ni Panganiban.
“Panganiban arrogated unto himself the powers of Sugar Regulatory Administration, and now, instead of being punished, he is being rewarded by being appointed as its OIC?,” tanong ni Hontiveros.
“For Malacanang and Panganiban, it appears that crime really does pay – it even rewards,” giit pa ng mambabatas.
Paniwala ni Hontiveros, hindi aniya magagawang lumusot ni Panganiban sa ilalim ng mga nakalipas na administrasyon.
Aniya pa, ang lantarang pagkunsinti sa mga bulilyaso sa gobyerno ang nagbibigay hudyat sa mga sugar cartel na kontrolin ang supply at magdikta ng presyo ng produktong agrikultura sa merkado.
“Instead of demotions or criminal or administrative charges, Panganiban is being provided by Malacanang with a plum new post at the Sugar Regulatory Administration ,” giit niya.
“This is in stark contrast to their treatment of another DA official who resigned his post after being tagged in the controversial Sugar Order No. 4,” dagdag ng senadora.
“What sort of message do we hope to send here to our fellow government employees, to our farmers, to our consumers by rewarding corruption instead of punishing it?,” himutok ni Hontiveros.
“If left unchecked, large-scale smuggling and outright corruption in the selection of importers will be just the beginning. I fear that the SRA, under Panganiban, will continue to deny requests by industries to procure their own sugar supplies and justify the high prices of sugar being forced on consumers and businesses alike,” paliwanag pa ng senador.
Ikinababahala lamang ni Hontiveros na hahawanin ni Panganiban ang sariling landas nito sa bagong posisyon at magpapalabas ng gag order na kanyang ginawa noon, upang madiskril ang imbestigasyon sa nagdaang bulilyaso — kung hindi man panibagong sugar fiasco.
“Sa huli, walang magandang kahahantungan ang appointment na ito. Talo na naman ang interes at ang bulsa ng taumbayan.”
