Rody denies internal squabbles among cabinet members, allies

President Rodrigo Duterte answer questions from the media at the Davao International Airport before his departure to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Monday, April 10, 2017. Mindanews Photo
President Rodrigo Duterte answer questions from the media at the Davao International Airport before his departure to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Monday, April 10, 2017. Mindanews Photo

President Duterte denied reports of rifts among the members of his cabinet and close allies.

In his departure message at the Davao City International Airport on Monday afternoon, April 10, the President said he just want corrupt people to go out from the government service.

The President will be off for official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar until April 12, Wednesday.

He clarified that the dismissal from service of a high official of the Department of Agriculture was related to her work, and not on the rumoured in-fighting among the officials of his administration and allies.

“I just don’t want people who are corrupt,” he added.

The President dismissed from her post DA Undersecretary Maria Chiara Halmen Reina Valdez for overruling the earlier decision of National Food Authority Administrator Jason Aquino to suspend the importation of rice as harvest is ongoing in the country.

“Valdez approved the rice importation,” the President said.

He emphasized that the government must prioritize buying rice from the farmers, not from other countries.

“Why import rice? It will kill our farmers. We will not compete with our rice farmers,” the President pointed out.

In his speech on Monday, President Duterte called on the NFA to start buying rice from the farmers.

“If the allocations are available, the National Food Authority may start buying the produce of rice farmers in the country as harvest season is already ongoing,” he said.

He added that he personally visited farmers in parts of Luzon last week and was informed of the ongoing rice harvests in the area.

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