Exclusive - Duterte Scolded Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol: Buy Rice With That Rolex Watch!

People applauded Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol for returning his Rolex watch that he received as a Christmas gift, except one person: the President himself.

President Rodrigo Duterte lectured Pinol for returning the watch instead of buying rice using that watch.

"Kaya si Piñol nagyayabang na at bakit naman niya isauli ang Rolex?" Duterte said in front of the attendees of the seventh anniversary of Federalismo Alyansa of Bicol (FAB) at the Legazpi City Convention Center, Legazpi City, Albay on Thursday.

"Sabihin mo kay Piñol, ilang Rolex ba ang ... how about the others? Siguro mga coming Christmas, isauli ninyo lahat iyan? Ibigay n'yo sa akin ipagbili ko ibili ko ng bigas, ipakain ko sa mga tao," he added.

Duterte added that during his time as Davao City mayor, he would encourage people who would give him gifts to give him rice or viands and send them to some communities.

"Pero ako sa Davao, every Christmas, sasabihin ko na alam ko madaming magbigay, mayor eh. Hindi mo talaga maiwasan ‘yan. Sabi ko, 'Huwag na kayong magbigay sa akin. Bigyan n'yo ‘ko ng bigas. Kung gusto ninyo magbigay sa akin, bigas.' O pagkatapos niyan, ‘O, sige ipadala mo doon sa ano.’ ‘Yan, ... Bigas o ulam," he said.

Piñol said on his Facebook post that after returning the Rolex watch with a worth P450,000, he felt relieved that he could look anyone straight in the eye because he was following Duterte's directive that no one in government should be corrupt.

Duterte vowed in his speech that he will issue an anti-corruption measure.

"Corruption in my Executive department, down to the ... masisiguro ninyo ‘yan. One day we will have…Mag-a-adjust lang ako muna. But one day I will enforce the anti-corruption measure," he said.