MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte has rejected criticism over the rice shortage in the Philippines, saying more rice procurement is coming in.

“Ngayon sinasabi nila na may shortage daw ng bigas. Eh marami namang bigas eh, paparating pa nga dito eh. Ngayon sumobra nga eh,” Duterte said in a speech before the Filipino community in Jerusalem on Sunday evening (Israel time).

(They are saying that there is rice shortage. But we have ample rice supply. More supplies are coming. In fact there’s oversupply.)

“Hindi, you know, those are politics. But I would like to remind you that I won because of the vote of the Filipino.”

(You know, those are politics. But I would like to remind you that I won because of the vote of the Filipino.)

Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol has drawn flak for the spike in rice prices in Zamboanga City, a problem which he said was triggered by the government’s crackdown on rice smuggling.

The agriculture chief then suggested that government legalize this form of transaction, saying “what we consider as smuggling, to them is ordinary trading.” Piñol has earned criticism for this proposal.

Piñol and the National Food Authority have also been criticized after “bukbok” (weevils) hit thousands of rice bags imported by the NFA from Thailand.

Piñol has also supported the importation of galunggong (round scad) as part of the government’s efforts to temper inflation, a plan which also earned jeers from local fishermen groups.

Among those who have criticized the government for the rice problem was Senator Francis Pangilinan, president of the opposition Liberal Party, who slammed Piñol for saying that bukbok-infested rice is still safe for consumption.

“If government officials can stomach weevil-infested rice, the people we all serve cannot. Weevil-infested even as rice prices are going up? Raise the standards for rice we feed our children. Raise the standards for governance,” Pangilinan said in a statement last Saturday.

Duterte has dismissed lawmakers’ calls for him to sack Piñol, NFA chief Jason Aquino, and several other officials for the rice supply problem in the Philippines.

• Duterte dismisses calls for resignation of Agri chief, NFA execs

However, he also thumbed down the agriculture chief’s proposal to legalize rice smuggling in the Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi area.

• Duterte thumbs down proposal to 'legalize' rice smuggling

• Dissecting Data: Rice as inflation driver