This early?

Less than two months into President Bongbong Marcos’ term someone has already tendered his resigned due to a controversy. Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian resigned last Thursday. Sebastian approved Sugar Order No. 4 or the importation of 300,000 tons of sugar which the local sugar producers opposed. It appears that Sebastian approved the importation without first seeking authorization from Marcos who is also the secretary of agriculture.

Senate President Migz Zubiri wants officials of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to resign as the Senate will be investigating corruption in the agency. Officials of the SRA apparently convinced Sebastian to approve the importation. He wants them prosecuted because they put Marcos in a bad light. There is no shortage of sugar in the country. Records show there were still 127,000 tons of sugar. According to Zubiri, the said importation could be the "sendoff gift" for SRA officials in a holdover position as they were appointed by former president Rodrigo Duterte. He added corrupt officials of the SRA get P50 to P100 per bag of imported sugar. There are two million bags per 100,000 tons of sugar. If 300,000 bags are imported, P300 million to ?600 million pesos may be pocketed. That's a huge amount covered by the anti-plunder law. SRA Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica believes he is covered by Republic Act No. 10149, or the GOCC Governance Act of 2011, therefore is not co-terminus with the president. How long does he plan to hang on? If a controversy already exists, shouldn't Marcos have fired him already?

The alleged deep, systemic corruption at the SRA should be investigated. Both the Senate and Congress are calling for one. Just like the investigation done on retiring chiefs of staff of the AFP during the Arroyo administration. The generals seemed to be given financial sendoffs in the millions. Former AFP chief of staff Angelo Reyes died by his hand at the height of the investigation in 2011. The euro generals scandal of the PNP also comes into mind. A similar practice may be going on at the SRA which may be the reason they hang on to their positions. P300 million to P600 million pesos is surely enough reason to want to stay put. I hope this isn’t a glimpse of what may be a standard operating procedure during the Marcos administration. Critics of Marcos will surely have a field day.