Sara Duterte says P20/kg rice now ‘too late’

Vice President Sara Duterte said the implementation of the sale of P20 per kilo of rice, which will be piloted in Visayas, was a campaign promise of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that’s now “too little, too late.”

In an ambush interview in Tondo, Manila Thursday night, Duterte reacted to the statement of Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro, who said that true government leaders should support the highest official of the country instead of making criticisms.

“Hindi ‘yan pagiging ano eh, na mapag-puna. Nagsasabi ako ng totoo. It’s a campaign promise iyong 20 pesos per kilo na rice and ngayon lang in-implement na panahon ng eleksyon,” the Vice President said.

(It’s not a criticism, I’m telling the truth. The P20/kg rice is a campaign promise and they’re only implementing it now when it’s election season.)

“Sabi ko nga too little, too late to comply with the campaign promise ngayon at para lang din sa isa pang darating na eleksyon sa lugar sa Visayas kung saan mahina ang numero ng mga kandidato ni BBM,” she added.

(That campaign promise is too little, too late to comply with now. It’s even being piloted in the Visayas where the rankings of Marcos’ candidates are low.)

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Wednesday announced the sale of rice at P20 per kilo, which will be piloted in Visayas. He said Marcos wants it to be implemented across the country in the long run.

Laurel had also assured that the Department of Agriculture (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.

Duterte, however, called the plan as an election promise meant to boost the chances of the Marcos administration's senatorial candidates.

She also said the government was again trying to fool the people with the promise of rice at P20 per kilo. The Vice President even raised concerns that the government might sell rice that can be used as feed for pigs.

Malacañang on Thursday hit back at her, pointing out that it has long been the aspiration of the President to sell P20 per kilo of rice.—AOL, GMA Integrated News