MALACAÑANG on Thursday hit back at Vice President Sara Duterte following her criticism of the government’s plan to sell rice at ₱20 per kilo in the Visayas, urging her and her allies not to act like “termites in society.”
During a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro brushed off Duterte’s claim that the Department of Agriculture’s rice initiative was another ploy to deceive the public.
“A genuine leader, and a true Filipino, should stand behind fellow Filipinos, most especially the nation’s leader,” Castro said.
She questioned Duterte’s sudden opposition, pointing out that President Marcos is now making good on his campaign pledge to lower rice prices.
“For so long, they’ve questioned whether this ₱20 rice goal was even possible. Now that it’s starting to happen, why stir negativity again?” Castro said. “Let’s work together to turn these aspirations into reality.”