CEBU - Taking a page from President Aquino, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas slammed former president and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's administration in his Farmers' Day Speech in Cebu, Wednesday morning.
Roxas thanked and recognized the hard work and dedication of the farmers who are responsible in ensuring the flow of food supply in the country.
He even challenged them to gear up for the challenges of the ASEAN Integration where more training programs and additional machinerywill be provided if they will just allow the "Daang Matuwid" to continue.
Roxas then referred to the P728 million fertilizer fund scam as an example of how the alleged corruption deprived the farmers of the budget which should be allocated for them.
The controversy broke during Arroyo's administration as president.
"Hindi ninanakaw ang pera ninyo, nilalagay sa tama ang pondo ninyo. 'Yan po ang ipinaglalaban natin," Roxas said.
In 2004, the Ombudsman cleared Arroyo in the controversy.