Palace: Duterte won’t hesitate to force open warehouses of rice hoarders

President Rodrigo Duterte, RICHARD MADELO / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Malacañang warned rice hoarders and cartels on Tuesday that President Rodrigo Duterte will use “the entire power of the State” against them.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that Duterte “will not hesitate” to use police power to break open their warehouses and seize hoarded rice.

Roque said the threat was in line with Duterte’s promise during his third State of the Nation Address (Sona) to address the issue of artificial rice shortage.

“He will not hesitate to use the entire power of the State to utilize police power even to order the seizure of hoarded rice in the warehouses of these rice hoarders,” Roque said in a press briefing.

“He invoked national security in this regard, so we warn rice hoarders that the President will use the full force of the State and force open warehouses where this hoarded rice may be found,” he told reporters.

During his third Sona, Duterte asked all rice hoarders, cartels, and their protectors to “stop messing with the people.”

“Power sometimes is not a good thing. But I hope I will not have to use it against you,” Duterte said.

“Consider yourselves warned; mend your ways now or the full force of the State shall be brought to bear upon you. I am directing all intelligence agencies to unmask the perpetrators of this economic sabotage and our law enforcement agencies to bring them to justice,” he stressed. /je