STATEMENT OF SENATE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE CHAIR FRANCIS 'TOL' N. TOLENTINO ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT ON SUGAR IMPORTATION FIASCO

The clearance given by the OP's Undersecretary for Legal Affairs does not affect the 97-page Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Report which was adopted unanimously by the Upper Chamber, in aid of legislation, and following several full-blown public hearings conducted.

An internal motu proprio administrative investigation report made by a separate branch of the Government is different from a Blue Ribbon Committee Report--made pursuant to the rules of a co-equal branch of the Government.

In fact, the Supreme Court in People v Paredes (2007), reaffirming Tan v. Comelec (1994) is clear: "The dismissal of an administrative case does not necessarily bar (prevent) the filing of a criminal prosecution for the same or similar acts which were the subject of the administrative complaint."

The internal OP investigation, the Senate investigation and any Ombudsman investigation are entirely independent proceedings. Neither would the result in any, terminate or conclude the other(s) and criminal liability is only totally extinguished under Article 89 of the Revised Penal Code, which does not include dismissal of an "administrative case."