BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) hopes that the court will extend the effectivity of the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against Sugar Regulatory Administration’s (SRA) Sugar Order No.3 (SO3).
SO3 allows industrial users to import 200,000 metric tons of sugar.
The TRO will expire on March 6.
UNIFED president Manuel Lamata said if the TRO is not extended, they will file another motion on the same date.
They already held a Zoom meeting with the judge on Feb. 4 and a hearing was set for April 27 if the TRO will still favor UNIFED.
UNIFED warned that SO3 would lead to depressed sugar prices.
SRA administrator Hermenegildo Serafica should know the possible repercussions of an ill-timed issuance of a sugar order, the group added.
Lamata urged President Rodrigo Duterte to fire Serafica, pointing out SRA’s alleged inaction on their various appeals to avert an agricultural crisis./PN
