Sara Duterte: They're again trying to fool people with promise of P20-per-kilo rice

Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday criticized the Department of Agriculture's plan to sell rice at P20 per kilo in the Visayas, calling it an election promise meant to boost the chances of the Marcos administration's senatorial candidates.

Sara Duterte said the government was again trying to fool the people with the promise of rice at P20 per kilo.

“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," Sara Duterte said.

(I don't know their motive. Perhaps, they are again trying to fool the people with P20-per-kilo rice.)

Sara Duterte didn't name names, but President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., her standard bearer in the presidential elections, said when they were both candidates in 2022 that he would recommend a price cap that would bring down the price of rice to P20 to P30 per kilo.

DA data at that time showed local commercial prices in Metro Manila ranged from P38 to P50 per kilo, and imported commercial rice prices from P37.00 to P52.00 as of April 13, depending on the variety.

"That [P20 per kilo of rice] is the aspiration. Bubuin natin iyong value chain" (We will fix the value chain), Marcos said in his first news conference as president-elect.

GMA News Online has sought comment from Malacañang regarding Sara Duterte's comment.

“'Di ba ‘yan na ‘yung sinasabi nila noon pa na hindi nila magawa hanggang ngayon dahil hindi nila alam kung paano gawin?" Sara Duterte said in an ambush interview.

"At dahil sa totoo lang, nung sinabi yung P20 per kilo na bigas ay nagsinungaling yung nagsabi. Alam niyang hindi kakayanin pero pinaasa niya ang mga tao na ibibigay ‘yun,” she added. 

(Isn't this what they said before, but couldn't do until now because they didn't know how? And to be honest, the person who promised P20 per kilo of rice lied. He knew he couldn't make it possible, but he still made people believe that it was.) 

“Promise na naman ‘yan sa mga tao na alam mong para lang sa eleksyon at para lang sa kanilang mga senators, para manalo ‘yung kanilang Alyansa kuno,” Sara Duterte said.

(That's another promise to the people because it’s the election and just for their senators to win.) 

Duterte even raised concerns that the government might sell rice that can be used as feed for pigs. 

“‘Pag sinabi natin na 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 said. 

(If you sell P20 per kilo of rice, that has to be something that people could eat. The P20 per kilo of rice being sold is usually fed to the pigs. Filipinos are not animals. If you sell P20 per kilo of rice, we will buy that because we think we could eat that.) 

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. earlier on Wednesday announced the sale of rice at P20 per kilo.

The sale of the P20 per kilo of rice will be piloted in Visayas, said Tiu Laurel, adding that Marcos wants it to be implemented across the country in the long run.

Laurel had said that the DA had been working day and night to implement the P20 per kilo of rice. 

He also assured that the DA has stocks of rice that can be sold at P20 per kilo, noting that the purchase of such is capped at 10 kilograms per week or 40 kilos in a month.

However, Sara Duterte said that people should be wary that this will only be sold in Visayas.

“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 said. 

(Maybe they have a problem with voters in Visayas. Let’s just deduce it from what they said that they will sell P20 per kilo of rice in the Visayas, as if we’re not getting hungry and we don’t need the same in Mindanao.) –NB, GMA Integrated News