Pinawalang-sala ng Malacañang ang isang dating opisyal ng Department of Agriculture (DA) at tatlo pang dating opisyal ng Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) na idinawit sa pagpapalabas ng Sugar Order (SO) No. 4 na nagpapahintulot na umangkat ng 300,000 metriko toneladang asukal kahit hindi aprubado ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos, Jr..
Kabilang sa mga ito sina dating DA Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, dating SRA administrator Hermenegildo Serafica, dating SRA board member Roland Beltran, at dating SRA board member Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama, Jr..
Sa desisyon ng Office of the President (OP) na may petsang Disyembre 29, 2022, walang pananagutan ang apat na dating opisyal dahil napatunayanng "in good faith" ang pagpapalabas ng SO No. 4.
"From the totality of the evidence, this Office finds that the issuance of SO No. 4 was done in good faith absent any showing that the respondents were aware of their lack of authority. Here, respondents thought they were authorized because of miscommunication," ayon sa desisyon ng OP.
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Matatandaang kinasuhan ng grave misconduct, gross dishonesty at conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service kaugnay sa usapin.
Binigyang-diin pa ng OP, nagkaroon lang ng miscommunication dahil sa memorandum na inilabas ni dating Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez noong Hulyo 15, 2022 na nagpapahintulot kay Sebastian na umupo bilang ex-officio chariman ng Sugar Regulatory Board.
Pinapayagan din ng memo si Sebastian na pumirma ng mga kontrata at iba pang dokumento upang maipatupad ang mga polisiya, plano at programa para maging epektibo ang pamamalakad ng DA.
"In the instant case, SO No. 4 was prepared pursuant to a directive by the President to come up with an importation plan, the draft of which was sent to then ES Rodriguez. Having raised no objection therefore, respondents could have assumed its approval," pagdidiin pa ng OP.
