Piñol accepts critics’ dare to eat bukbok rice

FILE: Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol (TOTO LOZANO/Presidential Photo)

To prove to the public that bukbok or weevil-infested rice is safe for consumption, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol accepted the challenge of his critics as he ate the rice over live television.

“Ang issue dito ay ‘yung ba daw bigas na ginapangan ng bukbok ay pwede pang kainin? Pwede… Pangalawa, ‘yung daw bang galunggong ay may formalin? Ang sagot ng BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources), wala. We conducted tests, limang tests, negative lahat sa formalin’ yung mga galunggong (The issue here is if the rice infested by weevil can still be consumed? Yes… Secondly, are round scads tainted with formalin? The BFAR answered no. We conducted tests, five tests, all round scads tested negative for formalin) ,” Piñol told UNTV on Friday, August 31.

“Ito po yung kanin na may bukbok, pwedeng kainin… pakita ko sa inyo (This is the weevil-infested rice, it can be eaten… I will show you),” he continued as he ate the weevil-infested rice served with round scad to assure Filipinos that it is not harmful to health.

Eating the infested rice, he said, only proved that he is “walking the talk.”

“Kapag sinabi kong kaya kong kainin ‘yung bigas na may bukbok, hugasan lang natin. Huwag mo naman kainin ‘yung bukbok (If I say I can eat rice infested by weevil we can just wash it. Just do not eat the weevil),”Piñol said.

“Ayan po ‘yung punto na gusto kong ipakita sa inyo na huwag tayong masyadong materyoso rito kasi para sa aming mahihirap sanay kaming kumain ng ganyan. Huwag nating sayangin ‘yung bigas na may bukbok kasi ‘pag hinugasan mo ‘yan, makakain pa ‘yan (This is what I wanted to show you to not be too materialistic because for poor people like us, we are used to eat something like this. Do not waste the rice infested by weevil because if you will wash it, you can still eat it),” he added.

Several lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez and Buhay Party-list Representative Lito Atienza, earlier urged Piñol to step down from his post over the rice and fish supply problems in the country.

But Piñol, in an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News Channel on Thursday, said he will not resign unless President Rodrigo Duterte asked him to do so.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr., meanwhile, said the Agriculture Chief still enjoys the trust and confidence of Duterte.

Senator Cynthia Villar, chair of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, earlier advised the public to just eat vegetables instead of round scad amid concerns that it may be tainted with formalin.

“Sabi ng DOH (Department of Health), meron daw. Sabi ng DA (Department of Agriculture), wala daw. Para sigurado na lang, better safe than sorry, huwag na lang tayong kumain ng galunggong. Alangan namang sabihin ko sa inyo na kumain kayo ng galunggong, hindi natin alam kung sino ang nagsasabi ng totoo. Kung may mangyari sa inyo (The DOH said it has formalin. The DA, meanwhile, said it does not have. Just to be sure, better safe than sorry, let’s not eat round scads. I won’t tell you to eat round scads when we do not even know who is telling the truth. What if something happens to you)?” she said