[REPOST] Duterte launches profanity-laced tirade vs. North Cotabato gov over Kidapawan rice

Davao Ciy Mayor Rodrigo Duterte launched a profanity-laced tirade at North Cotabato Governor Emmylou “Lala” Taliño-Mendoza over the latter’s statements about ‘epal’ politicians who sent rice to protesting farmers in Kidapawan City after the violent dispersal on April 1.

“May gusto akong sabihin kay Lala: P— i— mo. Wala akong pakialam diyan leche ka ha,” the mayor told reporters on Wednesday night in Davao City.

“Huwag mo akong tawaging epal-epal. Kayo ang epal diyan, mga Liberal [Party],” he added.

He also said that Mendoza should not get mad at the people who sent the donations to the farmers.

“Assuming na galing Davao ‘yan, bakit ka magalit kung magtanggap ang mga tao para makakain?” he said.

“What is fundamentally wrong if someone writes my name on a sack of rice and gives it to the people? Hoy Lala, hindi ako ganoon. Ang mga kilala mo. Pero ako never ako nag-epal-epal sa buhay ko,” Duterte added.

The rice donations did not bear Duterte’s name. The donors just wrote “From the people of Davao City” on the sacks of rice.

Supporters of the mayor had sent hundreds of sacks of rice to the farmers who were staying at the Methodist Center in Kidapawan after the bloody confrontation with police where two farmers and a civilian were killed and hundreds were injured. The farmers blocked the Kidapawan Highway last week to ask the government for rice rations and other aids after the El Niño took a toll on their farms.

Mendoza, however, took offense at the donations.

“Huwag n’yong gawing staging ground ang North Cotabato… Bigla kayong darating, magbibigay ng bigas? Nang-i-insulto ba kayo o namumulitiko kayo?” she said last weekend.

Although he committed to provide humanitarian assistance to the Cotabato farmers, Duterte said he was unaware of the initial donations.

“Hindi ko alam. I was out of town busy campaigning outside,” he said.

When the rice donations were being collected, he was in Toledo, Cebu for a campaign rally.

But during the Senate hearing to probe the dispersal on Thursday, Mendoza admitted that the farmers needed their support and thanked those who sent their donations.

“Kailangan talaga namin ng tulong. Hindi totoong may blockade ng pagkain,” she said.

“Iyong El Niño, hanggang Mayo pa iyan or Hunyo, kaya pinapasalamatan ko ang mga nag-donate at kinorso nila sa simbahan, natutuwa kami… Malaking bagay po iyan sa aming probinsya na more than P1 billion na po ang damage to agricultural products,” she added.

15,000 sacks

Duterte, on the other hand, said he is inclined not to continue with the donation of 15,000 sacks of rice worth P31.5 million that the Davao City Council approved on Tuesday.

“The City Council had given me authority to donate rice, but [Agriculture Secretary Proceso] Alcala said there is no shortage [of rice]. So it behooves upon the government to give them the rice,” he said.

Alcala in an interview with State of the Nation with Jessica Soho on Monday said that while many farmers have been affected by the long dry spell due to El Niño, there was 120 percent food sufficiency level in the province, while the National Food Authority (NFA) had more than 14 days supply of rice.

“Eh sabi ni Alcala na mayroon pala, eh ‘di sila na lang. Si Alcala na lang ang magbigay,” he said.

Duterte added that he will just reserve the money for some future emergency use since there’s no telling how long the El Niño will continue to affect the country.

Article of www.gmanetwork.com