September 22, 2015
Visayan Daily Star (Carla P. Gomez) | http://goo.gl/Cyhw9P
Sugar industry leaders yesterday called on President Benigno Aquino to order an investigation on a report linking his shooting buddy, former Assistant Transportation Secretary Virginia Torres, to smuggled sugar.
A Philippine Daily Inquirer report yesterday said Torres reportedly showed up at the Customs-Intelligence Group office on Aug. 20 allegedly to negotiate for the release of at least 64 shipping containers of smuggled Thai sugar, worth more than P100 million, but did not succeed.
Manuel Lamata, president of the United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines, said the president should have this investigated, and if true, then she should be prosecuted.
“I personally believe the names of the president and Mar (Roxas) were used for the personal gains of the smugglers. I do not believe they were involved at all,” he said.
Enrique Rojas, president of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters, said the report validates the earlier statement that some people will intensify smuggling operations to raise campaign funds for next year's election.
“President Noynoy Aquino should get to the bottom of this issue and prosecute the guilty parties to the fullest extent of the law, not only to serve as an example, but also to preserve the integrity of his administration's anti-corruption campaign,” Rojas said.
He also said the president should replace Alberto Lina as head of the Bureau of Customs because smuggling intensified when he took over as Customs commissioner.
“We in the Sugar Alliance assure all sugar producers that we are doing everything we can to fight sugar smuggling to protect the livelihood of the producers, the large majority of whom are marginalized farmers and ARBs (Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries),” he said.
Francis de la Rama, head of the Confederation of Sugar Producers of Negros Occidental, said “ Mar Roxas has to do something about it, if not, it will greatly affect his candidacy”.*CPG