SUGAR LEADERS ASK
Don’t just reshuffle,
sack corrupt at BOC
BY CARLA GOMEZ

President Benigno Aquino should see to the removal, not just reshuffling, of corrupt Bureau of Customs personnel, sugar leaders said yesterday.

Aquino took BOC personnel to task in his State of the Nation Address recently for failing to put a stop to smuggling.

“Instead of collecting proper taxes and preventing contraband from entering the country, they are heedlessly permitting the smuggling of goods and even drugs, arms and other items of similar nature into our territory,” the President said.

SRA allowing
conversion for ethanol
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Sugar Regulatory Administrator Ma. Regina Bautista Martin yesterday said the SRA sugar allocations for crop year 2013-2014 will allow the conversion of world market sugar for ethanol production.

World market, or “D” sugar, can be bought and converted to “F” for ethanol production, she said.

“It is to inform the world that, finally, we will encourage ethanol production,” she said, adding that this will be the first ever SRA inclusion of a provision for biofuels.

SP hearing on
Comelec fund today
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

A joint public hearing will be conducted today on the request of the Commission on Elections for all barangays to appropriate funds for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on October 28.

The inquiry to be conducted by the Committee on Laws, Ordinances and Good Government, chaired by Councilor Caesar Distrito and the Committee on Barangay Affairs, chaired by Councilor Mona Dia Jardin, will also tackle the registration system now employed by the Commission.

Distrito said the public hearing will provide a venue for the COMELEC to explain their request to all the barangays of the city with regard to the allocation of funds to be used for the elections and will also explain the gray areas or the flaws in the registration system and identify the problems and find solutions.