MANILA – Malacañang lambasted Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio for criticizing the government’s impending implementation of P20 per kilo of rice in the Visayas region.
According to Presidential Communications Office’s Undersecretary Claire Castro, as a government official Duterte-Carpio should be supporting the projects of the administration.
“Ang tunay na lider at tunay na Pilipino ay sumusuporta sa kapwa Pilipino, lalo na sa lider ng bansa. ‘Wag pairalin ang crab mentality. Huwag maging anay,” Castro said in a media briefing at Malacañang Palace on Thursday.
Department of Agriculture secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Wednesday announced the implementation of the sale of P20 per kilo of rice, which will be piloted in the Visayas.
In Duterte-Carpio’s view, this is an election promise meant to boost the chances of the Marcos administration’s senatorial candidates in the upcoming midterm polls.
“Well, hindi ko alam kung anong motibo nila. Baka, yes, inaano na nila ang mga tao, binubudol na naman nila ‘yung mga tao sa P20 per kilo na bigas,” Duterte-Carpio said in a press conference in Bacolod City.
“‘Pag sinabi natin P20 per kilo na bigas, ‘yung pwede kainin ng tao… ‘Yan ‘yung P20 per kilo na binibenta, ‘yung pinapakain sa baboy. Hindi mga hayop ang mga Pilipino. Kapag nagbenta kayo ng P20 per kilo, bibili kami lahat kasi pwede siya kainin ng tao,” she added.
“Baka may problema sila sa boto dito sa Visayas…I-deduce na lang natin sa mga sinasabi nila P20 per kilo na rice dito sa Visayas para hindi kami nagugutom sa Mindanao at hindi namin kailangan ng P20 per kilo na rice,” she further said.
Meanwhile, Castro said that the implementation of the program has nothing to do with President Marcos’ declining trust and approval rating in the latest Pulse Asia survey.
She added that the program will only be piloted in Visayas next week but is to be implemented nationwide in the long run, claiming that the government has sufficient funds for it until 2028.
“Nauna na pong pinag-usapan ng NFA (National Food Authority) at DA (ang P20 pero kilo na bigas) bago pa man lumabas ang anumang survey na ‘yan,” Castro said./PN
