By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

An official of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has forwarded a recommendation to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. to allow the 80,000 bags of sugar seized from a cargo ship to be sold through the Kadiwa stores.

In a statement released yesterday, David John Thaddeus Alba revealed the Bureau of Customs (BOC) over the weekend seized an estimated 4,000 metric tons of refined sugar at Batangas Port, that was attempted to be smuggled via the M/V Sunward, a cargo ship from Thailand.

The seized bags of sugar were valued at around P240 million.

The BOC said that no notice of arrival was presented to them when the vessel arrived. Hence, there was no import permit for the sugar.

Following the successful operation, Alba thanked the BOC’s enforcement unit and Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz for their vigilance in stopping the smuggling of sugar.

Alba said that he would make a representation to the President to have this sugar sold through Kadiwa so the public “can enjoy refined sugar at a lower cost.”

The administrator also warned traders in cahoots with the smugglers that “the full force of the law will go after you.”

He also asked all government enforcement agencies to provide them with information so they can go after sugar smugglers./DGB, WDJ