With Filipinos feeling the effects of the 6.4 percent inflation rate in August — the highest in ASEAN to date — Philippines’ strongman Rodrigo Duterte turned to US President Donald Trump… to lay blame.
In a speech during on official visit to Amman, Jordan on Friday night, Duterte told the Filipino community that Trump’s tariffs are to blame for the rapidly increasing inflation rate in the Philippines.
“Inflation is dahil ‘yan kay Trump. When Trump raised ‘yung mga tarrif niya pati banned other items nagkaloko-loko… I am not apologizing. There is really inflation in the Philippines and we are trying to control it,” Duterte was quoted in a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
(Inflation is because of Trump. When Trump raised the tariff, he even banned other items, it was chaotic.)
This speech came after the Commander-in-chief called for a Cabinet meeting the night before to discuss how they can find a way to alleviate inflation.
The Philippines’ current inflation rate of 6.4 percent is the highest over the last nine years and is reported to be the highest across ASEAN.
