President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday said he wants to appoint Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Rolando Bautista as the new administrator of National Food Authority (NFA).

In a command conference in Tuguegarao City, Duterte said: "In the meantime that I can't appoint you to Central Bank, you can lead the NFA for the meantime to rationalize the idiotic- to plan, make it structural,"

Bautista, one of the key figures in the Philippine military's victory over Islamic terrorists in Marawi City last year, retires on October 15.

The topic was discussed after Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III told Duterte that leadership in the NFA is needed to immediately respond to areas affected by typhoon.

Last September 11, Duterte said National Food Authority Administrator Jason Aquino has asked that he be relieved from his post.

In a televised tete-a-tete with Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo in Malacanang, Duterte announced Aquino's request.

"Jason Aquino requested that he be relieved already. He said he is tired he could not cope up with the 'game' inside, which is an ordinary happening (there). He cannot be in agreement," he said.

The government has been criticized for not doing enough to ease tight supplies of cheaper NFA rice as prices have remained high for some months now. Ella Dionisio/DMS