MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang distanced itself from Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno’s controversial remark calling on Filipinos not to be a “crybaby” due to the rising prices of oil and other goods.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, on Thursday, May 31, said President Rodrigo Duterte would likely not use this term to refer to Filipinos.

“Let’s just say that the President, perhaps ‘no, the President does not consider Filipinos as crybabies,” said Roque.

The day before, Diokno had said in a breakfast forum that Filipinos should not be complaining too much about inflation since prices of oil in the Arroyo administration were much higher than today.

“Remember, we had $135 per barrel under GMA (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo), so I think we should be less of a crybaby,” he had said, in an effort to put today’s inflation rates, partially caused by high oil prices, in perspective.

Roque, speaking cautiously on Thursday, said the President is not blind to the suffering among Filipinos due to inflation.

“The President recognizes that there are challenges brought about by the rise of crude oil prices which led to the increase in prices of most products,” he said in Filipino.

“Because he is a president elected by the common people, the President cannot turn his back on the people who elected him,” added Roque. 

Inflation rates have gone beyond the 2% to 4% inflation rate target of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

According to the Department of Finance, a small percentage of this is due to the implementation of the first tax reform package, and that other major factors include the higher price of crude oil in the world market and the weakening of the Philippine peso against the United States dollar. – Rappler.com