Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (PPAB, Facebook)

How could Vice President Sara Duterte criticize President Marcos' P20-per-kilo rice program if the prices of the staple grain cost over three times more during his father's tenure in Malacañang?

House Assistant Majority Leader Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong had this thought in mind Sunday, April 27 as he described the vice president's entire rant as "ironic".

“It is ironic that the Vice President is mocking efforts to lower rice prices to P20 per kilo when, during the administration of her father, rice prices even soared to P70 per kilo in some areas,” Adiong said..

“It was under the Duterte government that we saw imported rice shipments infested with 'bukbok', when her father’s appointed Agriculture Secretary, Manny Piñol, oversaw rice importation. Before pointing fingers, it would be better for her to look back at the failures of the administration she proudly represents,” added the Mindanao congressman.

The House leader was reacting to the Vice President's recent remarks where she said the current administration’s push to provide P20-per-kilo rice under a pilot program in certain parts of the Visayas was “too little, too late".

The Vice President--the eldest daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte--also questioned the timing of the program, since it was announced very close to the conduct of the May 12 mid-term polls.

“Rather than criticize, the Vice President should support every effort that aims to provide relief to the Filipino people, especially when it involves making basic necessities more affordable,” Adiong said.

He said VP Duterte’s comments only remind the public of the hardships ordinary Filipinos endured under the previous administration, particularly when rice prices surged dramatically and food security became a national crisis.

The P20-per-kilo rice program--piloted in select Kadiwa centers in the Visayas--is part of President Marcos' broader effort to fulfill a campaign promise of making rice affordable for all Filipino families.

The program involves partnerships with farmers’ cooperatives to deliver freshly milled rice directly to consumers, eliminating middlemen and reducing costs.

Duterte’s criticism came even as the Department of Agriculture (DA) stressed that the pilot program’s goal was to fine-tune the distribution model before a nationwide rollout, and to ensure sustainability and accessibility.

Adiong underscored that such projects deserve support, not ridicule. 

“We should be working together to find solutions, not tearing down every attempt simply because it comes from another administration,” he said.