Team DailyPedia
Philippines. North Cotabato governor Emmylou “Lala” Taliño Mendoza has issued a warning against politicians planning to donate rice to the 4,500 hungry farmers in Kidapawan City.
On Wednesday, March 30, members of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) blocked portions of the Cotabato-Davao Highway in Kidapawan City to appeal for rice provisions and calamity funds, which were allegedly promised by Mendoza to victims of El Niño.
However, the protest ended in a violent dispersal causing three deaths and 116 injuries on Friday, April 1. A report by Coconuts Manila revealed that one farmer died on the spot.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, April 2, a “fuming” Mendoza addressed politicians planning to make rice donations.
“Bigla kayong darating, magbibigay ng bigas? Nang-i-insulto ba kayo o namumulitiko kayo?” Mendoza said.
(You’ll suddenly come to donate rice? Are you being insulting or are you politicking?)
She added: “Huwag niyong gawing staging ground ang North Cotabato sa propaganda para manghingi kayo ng tulong sa international community at magka-pera kayo.”
(Don’t turn North Cotabato into a staging ground for your propaganda in order to ask help from the international community and earn money.)
Several reports claimed that one of the politicians Mendoza, a member of the Liberal Party, was slamming was Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
Led by Peter Laviña, members of the Duterte Presidential Campaign Team gathered over 30 sacks of donated rice from donors who saw Laviña’s post on Facebook.
In a phone interview with Sun Star Davao, Laviña commented that Mendoza’s statement is that of “guilty politician who isn’t able to perform her duties.”Moreover, Laviña emphasized that Duterte advised them not to interfere with the ongoing problem in Cotabato.
Duterte supporter and actor Robin Padilla has donated 200 sacks of rice to the farmers.
