NEGROS Oriental Governor Roel Degamo said they have banned the entry of products containing high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) to their province even before the sugar industry intensified its campaign against the unregulated importation of the alternative sweetener.
“I have a strong order to our provincial agriculturist not to allow the entry of HFCS,” said Degamo, who was in Bacolod City Thursday, May 11 to preside the Negros Island Region Peace and Order Council Meeting held at Business Inn.
Meanwhile, Emilio Yulo III, spokesperson of the Sugar Alliance of the Philippines, slammed Coca-Cola Femsa Philippines for doing the “double talk.”
He added that the beverage company announced the withdrawal of their petition for preliminary injunction against Sugar Order No. 3, regulating the importation of HFCS, because they know full well that would have been denied.
There is no more urgency on the matter since they themselves requested resetting of the hearing in their failure to present their own witness, Yulo said.
“It is clear now that Coke is playing with us and with our national government, insults our Senate proceedings and refuses to respect state policies. But then again, what do we expect from their executives who kowtow to the whims of their foreign bosses. That is why, until Coke brings something concrete to the table, we will never believe their pronouncements for they have been saying one thing and doing another since Day 1,” Yulo further said.
In a related development, the Save the Sugar Industry Movement (Save-SIM) said that Coca-Cola has embarked on another legal strategy or game plan after their motion for reconsideration was junked.
Save-SIM lead convenor Wennie Sancho, in a press statement Thursday, said contrary to the pronouncement of Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri during the Senate hearing that Sugar Order No. 3 still stands in full force and effect, the beverage company is now questioning its constitutionally despite their promise to respect it.
“Coca-Cola will question everything under the sun and will make all forms of appeal to the Court of Appeals and even to the Supreme Court,” Sancho said, adding that "this will only prolong the agony of the workers" who are already suffering from the brunt of HFCS importation.
It is imperative that the struggle should be raised to a higher level and the boycott of Coca-Cola products should be intensified, it added.