Duterte to address nation Tuesday

DAVAO CITY, Philippines —  It is not another State of the Nation Address (SONA) within the year, but President Duterte is set to make a nationwide address this afternoon for what officials said was an important and compelling issue that he has to tell the people.

Duterte left for Manila last night to be at Malacañang where he is also set to hold a Cabinet meeting this afternoon.

It could not be ascertained if the President would first address the nation and hold a press conference before conducting the Cabinet meeting or the other way around, with presidential spokesman Harry Roque saying this would depend on the Chief Executive.

Roque said he also does not have any idea what the President would talk about in his address to the Filipino people today.

“I do not know the topic, but he will talk to the people. I did not know about it. He just said he wants to talk to the nation,” he pointed out.

But he revealed that Duterte has one marching order to his Cabinet members – Do everything to control inflation.

The President was kept abreast of the issues even while he was on an official trip to Israel and Jordan last week. In Jordan, Duterte reportedly gathered all the Cabinet members who were with him to a meeting to discuss inflation and other economic issues.

“It was not a very wide discussion on inflation. But the President said everything that needs to be done must be done. He does not micro-manage,” Roque said of the meeting.

He defended Duterte, saying the President has not been remiss in his duty to address the problem on inflation that has been pegged at 6.4 percent, the highest in a decade, for the month of August.

Roque said several measures have already been taken by government to control inflation.

“And so far, what have we done… we have authorized the importation of oil from Russia, which is cheaper. We have allowed the entry of imported agricultural products. We have removed special safeguard measures. We have increased regional daily wages all over the country,” he revealed.

Duterte, he added, has vowed to run after rice hoarders, authorized the importation of rice –including the broken variety that will be sold at only P27 per kilo – and fully implement the Suggested Retail Price law to help stem inflation.

“In some areas like in Zamboanga, they have resorted to price control after a declaration of a state of calamity,” Roque pointed out.

The President also ordered the further simplification and streamlining of the licensing procedures for rice imports of the National Food Authority and is considering the designation of a full-time Customs person who will be tasked to authorize the issuance of import permits for rice.

Roque explained why Duterte pointed to US President Donald Trump for the inflation level prevailing in the country these days.

Despite inflation, Roque claimed there is also some good news like the employment rate, which improved to 94.6 percent based on the labor force survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority for July 2018, and the excellent performance of the manufacturing sector.

Meanwhile, members of the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) led by Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez will need to update leaders of the House of Representatives on the steps to be taken to slow down inflation.

“The House leadership will ask the NPCC to submit a report to Congress on what steps it had undertaken to cushion the impact of rising inflation on prices of basic necessities and prime commodities. We want to know from council members if there is really widespread hoarding and illegal price manipulation taking place,” House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. said yesterday. – With Edith Regalado, Delon Porcalla, Rhodina Villanueva, Louise Maureen Simeon

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