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Palace on Roxas' advice: Mabuti pong manahimik na siya


Former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II’s unsolicited advice to President Rodrigo Duterte on how to address the rice supply problem in the country apparently did not sit well with Malacañang.

Roxas on Tuesday called for a break from political bickering as he asked Duterte to consider his suggestion to increase rice imports and for fast food chains, malls grocery, and supermarkets and other large users to independently source and import their own supplies.

A former investment banker, Roxas also called for the repeal of Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law provisions on fuel and other basic commodities, promotion of industrialized farming and inclusion of farmers and their families to the conditional cash transfer program.

In reaction to Roxas’ suggestions, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Wednesday the Liberal Party (LP) stalwart should not add to the political noise.

“[D]ahil sa kanyang karanasan doon sa Leyte ay mabuti pong manahimik na siyang muli,” Roque said in an interview on national radio.

Also, Roque took up Roxas’ alleged missteps in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda in November 2013 as he assured the public that measures are in place to address the rice supply problem.

“Hindi po natin siguro kinakailangan na dumagdag sa ingay ngayon. Alam naman natin kung ano ang ginawa niya sa Yolanda, sabi niya ‘no one is in charge,’” Roque said.

“Hindi po ganyan ang kinakailangan ng bayan sa panahon ng aberya at hayaan na po natin na umusad ang mga proseso ng mabigay ang mga pangangailangan ng taumbayan sa mga ganitong mga panahon.”

Roxas lost to Duterte in the 2016 presidential election.

The former Cabinet official is reportedly being eyed by the LP to run for senator, a post he previously held from 2004 to 2010, in the May 2019 midterm elections. —LBG, GMA News

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