Agri chief calls First Lady rice price allegations 'fabricated lies'

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. dismissed claims by former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co that he halted a House inquiry into rice prices due to a confidential report implicating the First Lady, calling them 'fabricated lies.'

Tiu Laurel stated that the First Lady has never interfered in Department of Agriculture (DA) matters and her name does not appear in any report submitted to Congress.

Co had accused the First Lady of being involved in a scheme that kept rice prices artificially high despite reduced import duties, alleging she was 'in charge of the rice importers.'

He also claimed that congressmen prematurely ended their investigation after Tiu Laurel presented a document linking the First Lady to the rice trade.

The First Lady, Liza Araneta-Marcos, will shrug off the accusations, with Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stating that she knows the truth and that Secretary Laurel has already refuted the allegations.

Castro added that both President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Araneta-Marcos know what is correct and what is not.