UNIFED threatens contempt of court and arrest of SRA Chief if planned SO 4 will push through

The United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) threatens to seek contempt charges and arrest of Sugar Regulatory Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica if he signs the proposed sugar importation program that will allow 350,000 metric tons of raw and refined sugar into the country.

UNIFED President Manuel Lamata said they’ve received a draft of Sugar Order No. 4 which is “similar and in a bigger volume than the previous order that caused the filing of our case against him and SRA last February.”

“The moment Administrator Serafica signs and make that draft SO 4 as official, we will haul him in court again for contempt and seek his arrest for defying the ongoing case filed against him related to the suspended SO 3,” Lamata said.

“I will personally bring sugar for Mr. Serafica’s coffee in his jail cell when that happens,” he added.

In February, the Sagay City and Himamaylan City Regional Trial Courts issued separate preliminary injunctions against the importation of 200,000 metric tons (MT) of sugar under SO 3.

“This proposed SO 4 is a slap on the faces of the two regional trial courts here that issued rulings to halt any importation program pending a final resolution to the cases that has been deemed to cause damage to the sugar industry,” Lamata said.

Lamata added that the draft, issued last April 5, is “tantamount to a midnight deal that will obviously greatly benefit the industrial users, particularly the bottling companies.”

Of the proposed 350,000 metric tons of sugar imports, 250,000 metric tons will be refined sugar, 150,000 metric tons of which was specified as premium grade or bottlers’ grade refined sugar. The 100,000 metric tons remaining will be raw sugar.

Lamata said that while they are not against any importation based on factual supply and demand data from the ground, “this proposed import program is clearly favouring a particular sector and that is what we are against at.”

Notwithstanding the pending cases in our courts, the draft proposal is a clear indication that Administrator Serafica will go to any lengths to defy court orders just to accommodate the bottling companies, Lamata added.

Earlier, Senator Imee Marcos who chairs the Senate Economic Affairs Committee also called out Agriculture Secretary William Dar to refrain from signing the draft SO 4. Marcos described our agriculture state as “an epic disaster” and warned about approving any “midnight express deal” regarding the sugar importation.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, also issued a statement condemning the proposed SO 4 citing the pending court cases.

“Our courts have already landed on the side of our sugar farmers last February, so it’s disheartening that we are having the same conversation about importation again,” Zubiri said.

“Lest the SRA will be accused of this being a midnight deal bereft of propriety and due process. They should not allow this while our farmers are harvesting their crops,” Zubiri added.*