Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Wednesday dismissed as baseless the allegations of former lawmaker Zaldy Co, accusing the Marcos administration of covering up supposed anomalies involving First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and her relatives in the agriculture sector.
Tiu Laurel said Co’s claims — aired through a video post — were “total baloney,” adding that the only accurate point raised was the government’s move to lower rice import tariffs.
“Total baloney… A script na pwede pang-netflix. Ang totoo lang na sinabi niya is pinag-usapan naming ibaba ang (It’s a script fit for Netflix. The only thing true about his claims was our talks on) tariff,” he said.
“And it is not true that he suggested it alone, marami ang nag-suggest. Ang (Many have suggested it) recommendation niya actually was zero tariff, not 15 percent.”
The tariff on imported rice was dropped to 15 percent from the original 35 percent.
Co alleged that the tariff adjustment failed to bring down prices due to manipulation by rice importers supposedly linked to the First Lady.
He also claimed that the DA chief asked to halt the Quinta Committee’s ongoing probe into rice importation, citing the secretary’s alleged disclosure of a “confidential report” on importers.
The former lawmaker likewise pointed to alleged irregularities in the importation of onions and fish, and alleged price manipulation in the sugar sector.
For his part, Tiu Laurel said all other allegations were “definitely baloney.”
The DA chief, meanwhile, is set to announce more information on the matter on Thursday afternoon.
