The president of the Confederation of Sugarcane Producers’ Association, Inc. thanked Malacañang for dismissing the charges filed against him and his co-respondents in the motu propio investigation on the unauthorized convening of the Sugar Board and unauthorized issuance of Sugar Order No. 4, series of 2022.
“This is the vindication that I have always prayed for and believed in, that will come in due time, knowing that my actions as the member of Sugar Board was done in good faith, devoid of ill intentions and consistent with established agency procedures,” former Sugar Regulatory Administration board member Aurelio Valderrama yesterday said in a statement issued the Daily Star.
The stress that has caused so much grief to him and to his family has finally been lifted, with the issuance by the Office of the President of the decision absolving him, as well as the rest of officers in the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) involved in the case of Grave Misconduct, Gross Dishonesty and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest in the Service relative to his participation in the issuance of Sugar Order 4, he said.
Valderrama said “It is now time to move forward. It is time to set aside the issues that divide us and to focus instead on how we can work together. The Sugar Industry currently faces serious challenges that demands collective actions involving all stakeholders, in concert with government.”
He called on government, through the Department of Agriculture and the Sugar Regulatory Administration, to take the lead in harnessing the talents, energies and resources within the Industry, in concert with our legislators and concerned local governments as well as private sector partners, to help bring the Sugar Industry to its rightful place in the Philippine Economy, he said.
“On our part, the Confederation of Sugarcane Producers’ Associations, Inc. will endeavor to undertake every possible effort, seek every opportunity and pursue all available avenues to promote the interests an-d welfare of our farmers and those who depend on them. In this light, we offer our full cooperation in crafting of policies, plans and programs, and the adoption of measures that rebound to the benefit of the Sugar Industry and all its stakeholders,” Valderrama added.*
