Vice President Sara Duterte’s refusal to help the Marcos administration achieve its goal of making rice more affordable is an act of “selfishness,” Malacañang Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said yesterday.

This after Duterte said in an interview in Zamboanga that she knows how to sell rice at P20 per kilo but she will not help President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. do it.

“Her admission that she won’t share whatever knowledge she has — if she actually has any — because she refuses to help the President clearly shows selfishness,” Castro said.

She added, “We must remember that any knowledge you have that could benefit the people should be implemented immediately and not be held back for the sake of timing.”

Castro rebuked Duterte for disregarding the struggles of Filipinos who are finding it difficult to afford basic goods.

“Doesn’t the Vice President think about the welfare of the people, especially those who are struggling to buy rice even when prices are already low?” she asked.

Castro stressed that public service is a serious responsibility.

“Let’s remember that serving the people is not a game. The government and the country are not a giant playground. We hope the Vice President does not behave like a child,” she said.

Drug testing for PUV drivers

In the same briefing, Castro said Malacañang is open to reconsidering the Department of Transportation’s mandatory drug-testing policy for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers.

“This needs to be studied because it is necessary. Let’s remember that the priority here is the safety of commuters, passengers, road users, and the drivers themselves. We can’t simply decide to stop it if doing so would compromise safety,” Castro said.

Transport group PISTON earlier raised concerns about the new policy, pointing to the added burden of undergoing drug tests every 90 days amid challenges like fluctuating fuel prices and the ongoing PUV modernization program.

Former Senate president Vicente Sotto III also criticized the measure, noting that of the 24 million drivers who underwent drug testing, only 0.06 percent — or about 14,400 — tested positive for drugs, suggesting the policy is more about collecting revenue than safety.

Castro urged the relevant agencies to thoroughly review the policy and cautioned against hastily labeling it as a money-making scheme.

“This is still under review, and we shouldn’t immediately judge it as a money-making strategy,” she said.