(Bloomberg) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte called on lawmakers to pass legislation that will help cool the fastest inflation in five years and spread wealth and power beyond the capital region.

In his annual address to Congress, Duterte asked both chambers to prioritize the measure that will remove caps on rice imports to augment supply and cut the price by as much as 7 pesos per kilo.

The 73-year-old leader also pitched for sustained reforms in the tax system and amendments to the constitution that will pave the way for a shift to a federal form of government. Duterte promised to sign in the coming days a law that will expand the autonomous Muslim region and help end four decades of insurgency in his home island of Mindanao.

Duterte’s speech, delayed by more than an hour by an upset in the House of Representatives, was the shortest of his three addresses, clocking in at 48 minutes or less than half of the 120 minutes he took a year ago. Members of the House of Representatives resumed the session after the address to elect former President Gloria Arroyo as the new speaker, replacing Pantaleon Alvarez.

Both are allies of Duterte and supportive of his plan to create federal regions. The president didn’t discuss the power struggle in his speech.

Read: Glaring Wealth Divide Pushes Duterte Toward Federalism Legacy

In his speech, Duterte, pledged that his deadly war against drug pushers and users that has killed thousands will continue to be “relentless” and “chilling." The brash leader also issued a warning against several groups during his speech, among them the rice hoarders and cartels blamed for pushing up prices, the miners he said were destroying the environment and public officials profiting from state coffers.

Thousands of people from different civil groups and youth organizations gathered near the chamber to protest the killings and his plan for charter change. Protesters also convened in other parts of the country including Bacolod City and Negros in central island of Visayas. Duterte supporters also took to the streets.

Read: ‘Contentious’ Duterte, Philippine Inflation Worries for Moody’s

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno expects Congress to pass the rice reform bill by September to help curb inflation. Many Filipinos wanted Duterte to address the issue of rising prices in his speech, according to a Pulse Asia Research Inc. poll.

Duterte said he wants to sign the tax package that will lower corporate income taxes by the end of the year. Later this month, Duterte said his economic team would submit to Congress proposals on the tax amnesty, tax increases in mining, alcohol and tobacco and the remaining tax packages he wants enacted before his term ends in 2022.

Other key points of Duterte’s address include:

  • Draft terms for entry of third major player in telecommunications sector at hand
  • Friendship with China won’t stop Philippines from asserting South China Sea claims
  • He also pitched for a law to end labor-only contracting, put up a fund for coconut farmers, create a department on disaster management

--With assistance from Clarissa Batino, Cecilia Yap, Ditas Lopez and Siegfrid Alegado.

To contact the reporters on this story: Andreo Calonzo in Manila at acalonzo1@bloomberg.net;Claire Jiao in Manila at cjiao5@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Clarissa Batino at cbatino@bloomberg.net, Ruth Pollard

©2018 Bloomberg L.P.