Noy blasts Gloria in South Korea
MANILA, Philippines - Even in his trip abroad, President Benigno Aquino III criticized his predecessor for alleged irregularities during her nearly a decade of presidency.
In his speech before the business community of South Korea, Aquino once again hit former president and now Pampanga Second District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo over irregularities in rice importation.
He said when Arroyo stepped in as president, the National Food Authority (NFA) had a debt of about 12 billion pesos but the amount greatly increased until she left the presidency.
"By the time she handed government over to me nine and a half years later, this debt has grown to 177 billion pesos—today, a staggering 4.12 billion dollars. How did this happen?," Aquino said.
"My predecessor had us believe that the country needed to import 1.3 million metric tons of rice every year," he added.
The President explained that in 2010 alone, the Arroyo administration imported two million metric tons of rice, which were allegedly overpriced and in excess of what was needed.
But three years into his term, Aquino claimed that the Philippines is now almost self-sufficient in rice.
Aquino made his fresh criticisms against Arroyo after saying earlier this month that more than a trillion pesos may have been lost to corruption during the past administration.
He said the government under his predecessor used mechanisms such as rice importation, congressional insertions, the alleged Malampaya fund scam, and the reenactment of the national budget to abuse the nation's coffers.
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