Duterte hits Valdez, says local farmers should be prioritized

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday defended his decision to sack an undersecretary over the controversial issue of rice importation.

He said former Undersecretary Maia Chiara Halmen Reina A. Valdez of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary “signed and approved” the importation of rice, overruling National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Jason Aquino.

Valdez earlier explained that it was the National Food Authority Council (NFAC) that ruled the extension of the deadline for rice importation. She said she only voted in behalf of the Cabinet Secretary and that she had no influence over the high-ranking officials who are members of the council.

But Duterte criticized Valdez for not letting the Office of the President rule on the matter.

He said Aquino appealed the decision.

“The higher office is the Office of the President. It never reached my desk,” Duterte said during a press conference at the Davao International Airport.

He said that he allowed the Cabinet cluster to decide.

“They overruled Jason, allowed importation. And itong babae si (this woman) Valdez, signed, approved the importation,” he said.

Duterte said Valdez should have forwarded the council’s recommendation to the Office of the President.

“Hindi ‘yan inyo (That is not yours)…I will decide to grant or disapprove it,” he said. “The official procedure, isauli mo sa akin ‘yan (is that you will return it to me) with recommendation and I will sign it.”

“You are not the Office of the President,” he said, adding that NFA is under his office. “Linagay ‘yan sa Office of the President so you do not have any authority signing.”

Duterte said that the harvest of rice is “good” based on his last visit to Nueva Ecija.

“Bakit ka mag-import ngayon ng bigas (Why would you import rice)…? Patay ang farmers (The farmers will die),” he said.

The President said he is ordering Aquino to buy rice from local producers.

“Unahin mo muna ‘yung atin…then if there is shortfall you might decide to import. In the meantime if may surplus wag nyong kumptensyahan yung farmers natin,” he said.

(Prioritize our farmers…then if there is a shortfall, you might decide to import. In the meantime, if there is a surplus, do not compete with our farmers.)

“That is the proper way of governing the nation,” Duterte said.

The President denied that his Cabinet members are quarreling with each other.

“There is no infighting. There is no ruckus. There is no trouble there. I just don’t like people who are corrupt,” he said without going into details on the corruption claim. JE/rga