VP Sara says P20/kg rice a false promise 

Vice President Sara Duterte said on Friday that she wore a black shirt in solidarity with the public who were “fooled” by the government after the Department of Agriculture halted the rollout of P20 per kilogram of rice in Cebu. 

“Kaya ako nakaitim ngayong araw na ito sa kampanya namin, dahil nalulungkot talaga ako, nagluluksa talaga ako kasi pinaglalaruan yung mga taong walang-wala, pinaglalaruan yung mga mahihirap,” she told reporters in Zamboanga City. 

(That's why I'm wearing black today in our campaign, because I'm really sad, I'm really mourning because the people who have nothing are being played with.) 

“Hindi lang isang beses, hindi lang dalawa, paulit-ulit na sinasamantala yung desperation, hunger, and poverty sa ating bayan.” 

(Not just once, not just twice, they are repeatedly exploiting the desperation, hunger, and poverty in our country.) 

The DA first implemented the rollout of the affordable rice in Cebu on Thursday which drew long lines of buyers. But the department had to temporarily stop the program until the end of the May 12 midterm polls in compliance with the directive of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). 

The P20/kg rice is targeted towards those from the vulnerable sectors such as senior citizens, solo parents, and persons with disabilities. 

COMELEC’s directive aims to prevent the program from being politicized or being used for campaigning.

This is not the first time that the vice president criticized the DA’s program. Last month, Duterte said that it was an election promise meant to boost the chances of the Marcos administration's senatorial candidates.

The vice president’s stance on the program remained the same. 

“Hindi nila talagang kayang ibigay nang totoo yung P20 ang kilo ng bigas. Kaya nila tinigil yan kasi alam nila na hindi nila kayang ibenta. Sinubukan nilang mag-promise na naman ulit na alam nilang hindi nila kayang ibigay,” said Duterte. 

(They really can't afford to give the P20 a kilo of rice. That's why they stopped it because they knew they couldn't sell it.) 

Further, Duterte warned the public not to fall for vote-buying schemes. 

“Naka-ilang eleksyon na tayo na tumatanggap ang mga tao ng P100, P200 to P500, P1,000 - Pero ganito pa rin ang bayan natin, in fact, worse. Mas malala pa yung problema natin ngayon sa ilegal na droga, sa kriminalidad, sa kagutuman ng mga tao at sa kahirapan,” she said. 

(We have had several elections where people are receiving P100, P200 to P500, P1,000 - But our country is still like this, in fact, worse. Our problems are even worse now with illegal drugs, criminality, hunger and poverty.) —LDF, GMA Integrated News