‘Better late than never’: Alyansa bets defend timing of Marcos’ P20/kilo rice program

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'Ganoon talaga, whatever timing it is kahit last year pa ‘yan, sasabihin konektado sa eleksyon ‘yan,' says former Senate president Vicente 'Tito' Sotto III

MANILA, Philippines – The Marcos administration’s Senate bets under the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas defended the timing of the government’s P20/kilo rice program which will be piloted in the Visayas.

Former Senate president Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said it’s “better late than never.”

“Ganoon talaga, whatever timing it is kahit last year pa ‘yan, sasabihin niyan konektado sa eleksyon ‘yan,” Sotto said in a presser in Pangasinan on Friday, April 25.

(That’s how it goes, whatever the timing, even if this happened last year, they will say it’s connected to the elections.)

Meanwhile, Makati Mayor Abby Binay said the program is not too late as the President has only been in power for three years.

“I don’t think, I don’t agree when we say it’s too late because the President has only been…this is a mid-year,” said Binay in the same presser. “It’s only been three years.”

On the choice of the Visayas for the pilot implementation of the program, Binay said the region was preferred based on need and not because of the administration slate’s supposed weak support there.

“And I don’t think the President or the administration chooses it in such a way na kung saan mahina or saan malakas (where we’re weak or where we’re strong),” Binay said.

For Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, “nothing is too late, nothing is too little” in any effort meant to address poverty and hunger.

Former interior chief Benhur Abalos said implementation only coincided with the elections, but that this has been the President’s aspiration for a long time.

“Ngayong ginawa niya, he’s being bashed kasi eleksyon. Hindi naman ganoon. Talagang nagkataon lang,” Abalos said.

(Now that he’s done it, he’s being bashed because it’s the election season. That’s not it. It only coincided.)

The senatorial candidates came to the President’s defense after Vice President Sara Duterte said Thursday, April 24, that the project is “too little, too late.”

The P20 per kilo rice is President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 2022 campaign promise. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced the implementation of the program, just few weeks shy of the midterm polls.

Marcos saw a drop in his performance and trust ratings, based on a Pulse Asia Research, Incorporated survey held in late March. The survey results released Wednesday, April 16, also showed that the top concern of Filipinos is reining in inflation.

Senate race front runner Erwin Tulfo said the public long demanded the cheap rice that Marcos promised during the 2022 campaign.

“[S]uddenly ngayon nga po naibigay kasi pinag-aralan,” Tulfo said. (Suddenly now it’s been given because it was studied.)

The lawmaker said the Rice Tariffication Law, which he said hinders the National Food Authority to release rice to the market, must be reviewed.

– Rappler.com