• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP) has strongly condemned what it described as a media campaign targeting Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama Jr., president of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations (CONFED), calling it a malicious attempt to silence a vocal critic of current government sugar policies.
The controversy arose following public allegations accusing Valderrama of committing labor violations against workers at his leased farm in Cadiz City.
In a statement, Rojas defended Valderrama, emphasizing his role alongside NFSP in the Sugar Council to protect farmers’ interests against detrimental national policies, particularly regarding sugar importation.
“Industry stakeholders know that Mr. Valderrama has been very vocal in criticizing erroneous sugar policies, particularly on sugar importation, which has caused billions in losses to sugar farmers,” Rojas said. “This smear campaign apparently aims to discredit and silence Mr. Valderrama.”
Addressing the labor complaints, the legal counsel for Valderrama dismissed the allegations as baseless, revealing that pertinent farm records have already been submitted to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to debunk the claims.
Valderrama’s defense team criticized the complainants for turning to public smear tactics after failing to establish legal grounds.
Rojas pointed out that labor disputes should be resolved through standard DOLE proceedings rather than orchestrated media events.
He highlighted the suspicious nature of the sudden public outcry, noting it was introduced via an expensive press conference spearheaded by radical, left-leaning groups.
“There is no place for such dirty tactics in a civilized society,” Rojas emphasized, urging government officials and stakeholders to address policy debates transparently and intelligently rather than resorting to personal attacks. | GPB
