Press Release
August 30, 2022

Sapul! Robin, Ibinunyag ang Hindi Pagsunod sa Batas sa Pagtalaga ng Opisyal sa SRA

Hindi man siya abogado, nakasilip si Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla ng paglabag sa batas sa pagtalaga ng ilang opisyal sa Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), dahil hindi sila dumaan sa shortlist ng ng Governance Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GCG).

Sa pagdinig ng Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises nitong Martes, kinumpirma ni GCG Chairman Alex Quiroz na may mga itinalaga sa SRA na hindi dumaan sa proseso na mandato ng Republic Act 10149.

"Dito sa RA 10149, ang GOCC Governance Act of 2011, sa Section 15, Appointment of the Board of Directors, Trustees of GOCCs, an appointive director shall be appointed by the President from a shortlist prepared by the GCG. Tanong ko lang, ngayon pinaguusapan sa Blue Ribbon Committee ang naganap sa SRA. Gusto ko lang malinawan kung itong mga bagong appointee ng mga tao diyan, ito po ba dumaan sa GCG? Ito ba nasa shortlist sila?" tanong ni Padilla sa pagdinig.

Nang napag-alaman na ang mga opisyal ng SRA ay hindi pa dumaan sa GCG at nasa "acting capacity" pa lang sila, ipinunto ni Padilla na sa ilalim ng batas, dapat kasama sa shortlist ang nominee.

Ayon kay Chairman Quiroz, napag-alaman niyang na-appoint ang mga opisyal ng SRA sa "acting capacity" at dahil dito, "they have to await our supposed to be shortlist."

Iginiit ni Padilla na kung walang mapili ang Pangulo sa shortlist, aatasan niya ang GCG na magsumite ng dagdag na nominee, ayon sa RA 10149.

Dagdag niya, "Malinaw na hindi lang ito SRA. Pati PAGCOR, NIA, PCSO."

"Paano kung nagkasabit-sabit na, saka lang iimbestiga? Napakahirap ng ganoon. Mas maganda sana proactive tayo. Kung tapos na saka tayo iimbestiga. Yan lang ang aking mungkahi," aniya.

Sang-ayon si Committee Chairman Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano at nagpasalamat kay Padilla sa kanyang punto.

"Dito maganda sa Senate, we can learn from each other. Dito, ako officially ang abogado. Hindi abogado si Sen. Padilla, pero siya ang nakakita sa batas ng medyo may butas na kailangang tingnan," ani Cayetano.


Robin Bares Violation of Law in Appointment of SRA Officials

Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla made a valid point on the seeming violation of the law in the appointment of some officials of the controversy-hit Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) as they did not go through the shortlist of the Governance Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GCG).

Padilla bared this on Tuesday, after GCG Chairman Alex Quiroz affirmed that the appointees were not yet included in a shortlist as mandated by Republic Act 10149.

"Dito sa RA 10149, ang GOCC Governance Act of 2011, sa Section 15, Appointment of the Board of Directors, Trustees of GOCCs, an appointive director shall be appointed by the President from a shortlist prepared by the GCG. Tanong ko lang - ngayon pinag-uusapan sa Blue Ribbon Committee ang naganap sa SRA. Gusto ko lang malinawan kung itong mga bagong appointee ng mga tao diyan, ito po ba dumaan sa GCG?" Padilla asked.

("Under RA 10149, the GOCC Governance Act of 2011, Section 15 on the appointment of the board of directors and trustees of GOCCs indicates that an appointive director shall be appointed by the President from a shortlist prepared by the GCG. Now, the Blue Ribbon Committee is probing what happened to the SRA.")

Padilla clarified his point by discussing the provisions of the Law on the appointment of officials in GCG, "Ito ba nasa shortlist sila?"

("I want to be clear on this - were the new appointees included in the GCG through the shortlist.")

After uncovering that some of the appointees to the SRA did not go through the GCG and were appointed in an "acting capacity," Padilla pointed out they should have been in the shortlist.

During the hearing, Quiroz said he was informed that the appointees were appointed in an "acting capacity" and thus, "they have to await our supposed to be shortlist."

Padilla also pointed out that if the President does not see fit to appoint any of the nominees in the shortlist, "the President shall ask the GCG to submit additional nominees."

He added, "Malinaw na hindi lang ito SRA. Pati PAGCOR, NIA, PCSO (It's clear that this does not only apply in SRA, but also in PAGCOR, NIA, PCSO.)"

"Paano kung nagkasabit-sabit na, saka lang [mag]-iimbestiga? Napakahirap ng ganoon. Mas maganda sana proactive tayo. Kung tapos na saka tayo iimbestiga. Yan lang ang aking mungkahi (What happens if things go wrong, that's the only time an investigation takes place? That is not acceptable. It is better for us to be proactive, instead of investigating a wrongdoing only after it has happened. That is my suggestion)," he stressed.

Senate Committee Chairman Alan Peter Cayetano agreed with Padilla and thanked him for making his point.

"Dito maganda sa Senate, we can learn from each other. Dito, ako officially ang abogado. Hindi abogado si Sen. Padilla, pero siya ang nakakita sa batas ng medyo may butas na kailangang tingnan (This is what is good in the Senate, we learn from each other. Here I am officially the lawyer; but Padilla though not a lawyer has seen possible loopholes in the law)," said Cayetano.

*****

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTTT9HxCdo8

News Latest News Feed