Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri today September 6 thanked the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Senator Francis Tolentino for a "a job well done."

"He handled the hearing with professionalism, Napakabilis na nakuha ang mga detalye sa witnesses (He got the details from witnesses very fast). Nagpapasalamt ako sa kanya na dininig nya ang aking isyu last month (I thank him for conducting the public hearing the issue I brought out about the sugar importation fiasco)," Zubiri said.

Last month, Zubiri delivered a privilege speech denouncing an order of the Sugar Regulatory Board (SRB) to import 300,000 although SRB records showed that there are 127,000 metric tons of sugar in warehouses which means that there is no sugar shortage.

Malacanang had claimed that it directed the SRB to draft an import plan but what came out as Sugar Order No. 4 allowing the importation of 300,000 metric tons.

Zubiri said the Senate would act on the possible Senate committee report to be issued by the Tolentino committee.

"If charges are to be filed, then so be it. We will make sure na di maulit ito (that it won’t happen again)," he added.

Zubiri said that in all the meetings on the Sugar Regulatory Administration, "there are recommendations that will make changes with the system."

He said that the Senate hopes to avert the "Sugar Order No. 4" incident at SRB where there would be "no government intervention."

‘’Ibigay sa ating high demand users (We will support the high-demand users). Example Coca Cola para wala nang isyung tongpats (Example is Coca-Cola because if we don’t do it there will always be the issue of corruption),’’ he added.

Zubiri cited Sugar Order No. 4 which chose the importers and took away the filing of performance bond requirement.

’’The bond is there to protect the Philippine government to protect sugar cane farmers and there would be no issue of importation),’’ he pointed out.

Zubiri, whose family traces its origins to the sugar cane-plantation areas of Negros Occidental, emphasized that any importation should be just right so as not to affect the farmers. He is a Bukidnon resident.

"Ang gusto ng Pangulo di po dehado ang mga magsasaka, unahin natin local stocks at pag ubos na dyan na tayo magi-import (The President wants sugar cane farmers to be disadvantaged...ensure that importation should only be done when local stocks are depleted)," he said.

"Itong hearings na ito ay napakaimportante kaya nagpapasalamat tayo kay chairman Tolentino (These hearings are very important and I thank chairman Tolentino for it). We will also come out with recommendation to prevent this things to happen again," he added.