Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on his promise that he will bring down the price of rice to P20 per kilo, saying it’s a scam.
“Ang kataw-anan aning tanan, ibakak nimo nang tag P20 na bugas. Diha ka sayop. Scam ang tawag ana. Ug politiko ka mutungtong ka ug entablado ug unsay isulti nimo timan-an na sa tawo. Muistorya ka ug ingon ana seguro kay tungod maayo man mo ug kinabuhi, naa moy kaya man gud. Pero pila man ang bugas karon P50, P60, kanang P30 nga deperensya sa mga nangutoy ang tiyan, dako kaayo na nga butang. Timan-i na,” Duterte said in his message during the Hakbang ng Maisug candlelight prayer rally in Cebu City on Sunday evening.
During his campaign for the 2022 elections and even after he won the presidency, Marcos promised to bring down the price of rice to P20 per kilo. However, rice prices are nowhere near that price range.
It can be recalled that Duterte called on the President to resign in his speech during the Hakbang ng Maisug Leaders Forum at the Grand Men Seng Hotel in Davao City on January 28, 2024.
The mayor posed the challenge amid the pushing of the People’s Initiative (PI).
“Kung People’s Initiative dapat sa people gyud, sa ubos gyud. Naa natay problema daan sa coalition, sa Presidente ug Vice President. Human magdungag pa gyud mo ug problema. Usa ka tuig pa lang unya ang concern ninyo aning administrasyuna ni kung unsaon pagpadugay sa ilahang termino through Charter Change. Sige ilara pa mi aysus ninyo wala moy uwaw,” the mayor said.
Duterte appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to fix his government.
“Kini atong Presidente si BBM ug akong igsoon, kauban man unta mo. Maong gaingon ko kay tungod sa isa ka korporasyon, usa ka LGU, usa ka institusyon naa gyud nay pinakaulo, naay heirarchy ang tanan. Ang akong hangyo unta nga kaya ra man unta nimo tarungon ug gustuhon lang nimo kay ug dili gani, dili gyud nimo kaya gunitan ang gobyerno or you are tolerating it,” he said.
Duterte also hit House Speaker Martin Romualdez during his speech.
“Nagyawyaw ko unya ang mutubag ang speaker. Wala man ko kaila nimo. Pasagdi na imong ig-agaw na manubag. Isog lang ka kay speaker ka karon ug na speaker lang ka tungod ang ig-agaw nimo ang presidente mao na,” the mayor said.
He also dared Romualdez to extend relief assistance/goods without labeling or printing his face and name on them.
“Ani na lang. Sugalan ta ka pero isa ka libo lang kay wala man koy kuwarta o P1,500. Pakit-a daw ko bi nga manghatag ka ug ayuda nga wala imong pangalan. Hagiton taka pagsunod baha gani, sunod naay sunog sige hagiton ta ka hatag ug ayuda wala imong nawong ug wala imong pangalan,” he said.
The mayor urged the President and the officials in his administration to let their presence be felt by the Filipinos.
“Ako pa ninyo ang inyo buhaton, manarbaho mo, tarunga ninyo, pakita mo sa mga tawo, tagda ninyo ang mga tawo labi natong naa sa ubos gyud. Ipabati nga naa moy labot ba,” Duterte said.
