Duterte, left and President Marcos

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte said the implementation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ‘s P20 per kilo rice campaign promise three years into his administration is now “too late.” 

In an interview in Tondo, Manila where the vice president appeared in the campaign sortie of Manila mayoral reelectionist Isko Moreno on Thursday (April 24), the vice president reacted to the statement of Palace Press officer Claire Castro that government leaders should be supporting the country’s highest official instead of throwing criticism. 

“Hindi natin tinitignan kung ano ba ‘yung mga angako niya noon. Tumakbo siya noon, may pangako siya binigay ba niya?” Duterte said. 

“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 said. 

On Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced that the P20 per kilo rice will start rolling out in the Visayas and eventually in the whole country. 

Duterte slammed the timing and the target area of the initial rice roll out as it coincided with the coming midterm elections and is set to be implemented first in the region where the administration bets are supposedly weak. 

“Dahil, that is a campaign promise and it’s a little late. Little late siya. At magtataka ka (unclear) na bigas, kung bakit sa Visayas lang. Makikita natin na mahina ang mga senador ng administrasyon,” she said. 

Not angry with BBM 

Despite the barb trades and a kill plot, the vice president clarified that she is not angry with the president but because he did not deliver his campaign promises. 

“Personally, no. But I am angry because he presented himself as president. He presented himself to run as a candidate for president. And he was voted by the people because of what he said on stage. And he cannot — he cannot deliver on his promises when he was on stage,” she said. 

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