“Ang sabi dito…provision of production technical marketing assistance…P*tangina, puro nakaw ito .”
This is what Senator Cynthia Villar, on Friday’s budget hearing, said that left personalities and Netizens amused for the weekend.
Villar scrutinized the National Tobacco Administration’s (NTA) proposed budget for 2022: P505 million.
NTA also added in its proposed budget a P100-million allocation for the provision of “production technical marketing assistance,” which the senator believes is prone to corruption.
NTA Administrator Robert Victor Seares Jr. tried to explain the budget allocation but was interrupted by Villar.
“Tigilan niyo na ko sa mga technical assistance na ‘yan, alam naman natin na drama lang ‘yan ng taon. Naku naman. Diyos ko,” Villar interjected.
Meanwhile, Villar’s priceless reaction went viral on the social media platform Twitter.
Kapamilya broadcaster Karen Davila even declared Villar’s reaction as the “soundbyte for the day.”
https://twitter.com/iamkarendavila/status/1451534385203744768?s=20
Twitter personality Juan Paolo Umpa even laughed at Villar’s priceless reaction.
“Putangina puro nakaw to” GAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHA https://t.co/bv5jffm74K
— wartortoise (@paoloumpa) October 23, 2021
Philippine Star columnist Federico Pascual and Twitter personality Ica Hontiveros-Cheng loved the reaction from Villar, who cursed on national television.
https://twitter.com/FDPascual/status/1451533630489124867
https://twitter.com/ica_cheng/status/1451683103458557956
Dr. Tony Leachon also lauded the senator for castigating the NTA’s proposed budget.
@Cynthia_Villar smells
C O R R U P T I O N entries in the NTA budget. Walang sawa in this time of epidemic. Crack the whip madam senator ! https://t.co/E8p348P6ac— Tony Leachon MD (@DrTonyLeachon) October 22, 2021
However, some were not amused as Khryss Arañas, a musician, accused the senator of being corrupt as he sarcastically said, “H*yup ka is a ka rin.”
https://twitter.com/khryssaranas/status/1451535715221663749
After seeing Villar’s response to the proposed NTA budget, Netizens expressed their amusement on the social media site.
https://twitter.com/guinghyung/status/1451581088539693067
Ang lutong! "PIpuronakawto" https://t.co/mphaSWCjm4
— Albert Domingo (@AlbertDomingo) October 23, 2021
Meanwhile, present in the budget hearing was Senator Imee Marcos, who did not escape some of Netizens’ side comments.
I find the flash of Imee’s face right before Cynthia’s “putangina puro nakaw to” very poetic https://t.co/gBCCNH4kVA
— stefi (@stefisuero) October 22, 2021
https://twitter.com/caynemarbury/status/1451549091268218888
Villar stressed the P100-million amount could be utilized as emergency assistance for tobacco farmers instead, especially those who were affected by the ongoing pandemic.
“Mag-emergency cash assistance na lang kayo para malinaw…Itong technical marketing assistance? Naku, lumilipad ito sa hangin. Ayusin niyo iyan.”
DA Undersecretary Ariel Cayanan affirmed Villar’s recommendation and assured the senator that they would advise the NTA administrator to “recast” their budget.
