Para Kay Harry Roque! Hwag Mo Na Tadyakan Ang Taong Nakadapa!

The worst act of cruelty is to kick a man who is down, in my case, a Senatorial candidate who is at the bottom of the survey results.
Nasa tail-end na nga ako ng survey, meron pang naninira at nang-iintriga.
Hindi ko na sana papansinin ang intriga but since it came from a fellow Senatorial Candidate and it is an issue which questions my integrity as a public servant, I have to respond to it.
Noong isang araw, si former spokesman Harry Roque, who is a Senatorial candidate like me, ay nagpasaring na meron daw isang kandidato na involved sa questionable procurement ng mga farm equipment under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund ng Rice Tariffication Law.
Ang sabi nya isa o dalawang supplier lang daw ang binibilihan ng mga farm equipment and he insinuated corruption.
It is unfortunate that a lawyer like Roque could not even validate his story before he presents it to the public and cast aspersions on my integrity as a public servant.
Nakalimutan ni Roque na ang equipment procurement program ng RCEF ay nagsimula long after I resigned from the Department of Agriculture on June 26, 2019.
Ang ibig sabihin, hindi ako involved sa programa dahil wala na ako sa Departamento at nakalipat na ako sa Mindanao Development Authority noong panahon na nagsimulang mamili ng mga farm equipment for the RCEF program.
Mensahe ko kay Harry Roque: Mangampanya ka na lang para sa sarili mo at hwag ka ng manira ng kapwa miembro ng Gabinete. At pakatandaan mo, pumasa ako sa Lifestyle Check ng Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission. Ikaw, kaya mo?
During the same show where he was interviewed, nagpasaring din ang kilalang blogger na si RJ NIeto, also known as Thinking Pinoy meron daw isang kandidato na narinig nya na involved sa malaking anomalya sa procurement ng farm equipment.
While he did not directly name me, he was obviously referring to me since I am the only Agriculture Secretary running for the Senate.
Here are my answers to his allegation:
1. When I was the Agriculture Secretary, the procurement of farm equipment and all other procurements were done by the Regional Offices, not by the Central Office. Ni minsan hindi ako naki-alam sa bidding at procurement ng mga farm equipment. Magtanong kayo sa mga Regional Directors to validate this.
2. Kung totoong may katiwalian, dapat may kaso na nakasampa or at the very least may investigation ang Office of the Ombudsman.
3. Proof of corruption is unexplained wealth. Ako lang ang Cabinet Secretary ni Pangulong Duterte who volunteered to submit to a Lifestyle Check by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission with the Anti-Money Laundering Council. After a 7-month investigation, walang silang nakita na tagong-yaman sa akin.
Hanggang ngayon, RJ puede ko ipadala sayo ang mga bank statements ko para makita mo kung magkano ang pera ko sa bangko.
Wala akong tinatago. Open ako because I believe in transparency.
Kung sa anumang dahilan hindi ako ma-endorse o susuportahan ninuman, igagalang ko yan dahil karapatan nila yan.
Pero hwag nyo na lang dungisan ang ngalan ko dahil yan lang ang tangi kong yaman na ipapamana sa aking mga anak at apo.
At saka why are you concerned about me and my candidacy? Kulelat nga ako sa surveys, tatadyakan nyo pa ako?
Kung hindi ako manalo sa eleksyon, okey lang pero hwag nyo yurakan ang aking pagkatao at siraan ang aking pangalan dahil ipaglalaban ko ito ng patayan.
#MangampanyaLangKayo!
#TigilanAngFakeNews!