MANILA — Malacañang on Thursday said Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Manny Piñol continues to enjoy the trust and confidence of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Unless fired, yes!,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque told Palace media when asked if Piñol still has the trust and confidence of Duterte amid calls for the DA chief to quit over the issue of rice shortage.
The House minority block and a group of farmers on Wednesday said officials of DA, the National Food Authority (NFA) and its policy-making body, the NFA Council, should step down for their actions that jacked up the price of rice.
Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza scored officials of NFA and the NFA Council, headed by Administrator Jason Aquino and Jun Evasco, respectively, for pointing fingers at each other as to who should be blamed for the rice crisis.
Atienza, a former mayor of Manila, has also called for the abolition of the NFA and the NFA Council.
On the other hand, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), headed by former Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano, has questioned DA’s move to resort to rice and fish importation instead of improving the local agricultural production.
Last Wednesday, Roque advised the NFA and NFA Council officials to stop blaming each other.
He said the government will continue to find means to address the country’s rice supply shortage. (Jelly Musico/PNA)
