Consumers reeling from high prices no crybabies to Duterte, says Palace

President Duterte does not consider Filipinos who complain about spiraling prices of fuel and basic goods as crybabies.

In a press briefing on Thursday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the President was not insensitive to the plight of consumers who were feeling the crunch from the unabated rise in the price of oil products.

“The President recognized that we are facing a challenge with the sudden rise in the price of fuel, which resulted in a spike in the prices of almost everything,” he said.

Roque made the remarks in response to the earlier appeal of Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno to the public not to complain too much about the rising prices of commodities.

Pointing out that oil prices hit $135 a barrel during the term of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Diokno said Filipinos “should be less of a crybaby” during these times.

Sensitive President

The budget secretary said the government should not back down from implementing the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or TRAIN law.

The President, Roque said, is sensitive to the plight of ordinary Filipinos who are suffering from the price increases.

“And because he is a President elected by ordinary people, he will not turn his back on those who elected him to office,” he said.

Gabriela party-list Rep. Emmi de Jesus also called out Diokno for dismissing critics of the price surges as “crybabies.”

In a statement on Thursday, De Jesus pointed out that Diokno was wrong in comparing the barrel price of crude oil during the Arroyo administration to the current market price.

‘Permanent effect’

“Peso remains at its weakest in 12 years, plunging to P52.70 last week. Erosion of wages have been in an alarming state under the Duterte regime. And the impact of the TRAIN law, which levies additional taxes on oil products on top of expanded value-added tax, certainly has a permanent effect on prices,” De Jesus said.

“Diokno’s statement was careless and insensitive to the plight of many of our workers. They are the ones who are crying out…because [the rising prices] are making life harder for them,” said Maricor Akol, head of the National Center for Commuter Safety and Protection.—JULIE M. AURELIO, VINCE F. NONATO AND KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING