MANILA — Agriculture chief Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said on Tuesday circumstances have changed, which is why the government has yet to bring down the price of rice to P20 per kilo. 

"Iba ang panahon na yun, iba ang panahon ngayon. Nung panahon na yun, fertilizer is just P700 per bag. Ngayon nung pumasok ako sa DA, P2,800 na per bag," Tiu Laurel said when asked for his comment on Vice President Sara Duterte's  call for accountability on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s campaign promise of lowering the price of rice.

(Those times were different from what it is today. That time, fertilizer is just P700 per bag. When I came to DA, it's at P2,800 per bag.)

"In my opinion, during that time it might be achievable, but now medyo mas mahirapan talaga dahil may Ukraine war," he said.

(I think the P20/kilo rice may have been achievable that time, but now it would be hard because of the Ukraine war.)

In 2022, Marcos Jr. ran under the campaign promise of lowering the price of rice to P20 per kilo. 

In her latest attack against the President, Duterte said the public must demand for accountability from Marcos Jr.

Tiu Laurel said Duterte must study her statements carefully.

"I think she has to study what she says carefully. I mean, pag-aralan nya yung panahon na yun. Matalino naman sya. I think it's rhetoric of politics pero iba yung panahon na yun. Kailangan pag-aralan na mabuti bago magsalita," he said.

(She has to study the time when the campaign promise was said. She's intelligent. I think it's just politics but that time was different. She has to study first before speaking.)