Palace: Piñol still has President’s trust

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol still enjoys the trust and confidence of President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang said Thursday.

"Unless fired, yes!" presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a message to reporters when asked if Duterte still trusts Piñol.

Roque's remark came after some lawmakers called for the Cabinet official's resignation over the rice supply problems in the country.

Buhay party-list Representative Lito Atienza on Wednesday slammed the National Food Authority and its governing body, the NFA Council, for pointing fingers at each other as to who should be responsible for the rice crisis, especially in some areas in Mindanao.

Minority Leader Danilo Suarez and Ako Bicol party-list Representative Alfredo Garbin, meanwhile, blasted Piñol's suggestion to legalize rice smuggling in order to address the rice shortage in Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi (Zambasulta) area.

Garbin said Piñol's idea was tantamount to promoting economic sabotage.

But Roque defended Piñol, saying the agriculture chief was misquoted on the matter.

"We understand Agriculture Secretary Pinol was misquoted on the issue of legalized smuggling of rice in Zamboanga," the Palace official said.

Roque said the recommendation of the Department of Agriculture is to establish a rice trading post where government can collect customs duty on legally imported rice with import permit from the NFA.

"We also understand that the amount of imports to be allowed will be enough to cover the needs of the ZambaSulTa area. Again, we foresee the rice situation normalizing because the main harvest is beginning to come in by next month," he said.

Apart from Piñol, the lawmakers also called for the resignation of NFA Administrator Jason Aquino.

Aquino had repeatedly said he would not quit his post. — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News