By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Following President Rodrigo Duterte naming the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) as a “corrupt” government agency, former Negros Occidental Governor Rafael Coscolluela said its proposed abolition would create uncertainty.
“We won’t know what kind of policy environment we will have to deal with,” he said during an exclusive interview with Watchmen Daily Journal, yesterday afternoon.
Coscolluela also called the outright abolition “too drastic” and “untimely,” and believes corruption can be addressed in other ways.
He cited the earlier sacking of former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ismael Sueno, who was accused of corruption, saying the case did not warrant the shutdown of the department.
“Why the harsh move against the SRA?” Coscolluela questioned.
“In the meantime, the industry is advised to brace itself,” he added. “We’re in for more difficult times than we anticipated.”
Negros Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, meanwhile, suggested everyone not to jump to conclusions and wait for clarification from Malacañan.
In a report released by the Philippine Daily Inquirer over the weekend, Duterte said he wanted to abolish “one to three agencies” and would get to the task next week.
He also said one of the officials in these offices hired three consultants who were paid P200,000 each per month.
“That’s bigger than what the president gets,” he said at the Mindanao Business Conference and Expo in Cagayan de Oro City.
“I will abolish them,” the president declared. “The money, it should all be returned to Congress.”/WDJ