Bayan: Mariano rejection a victory for 'oligarchs'

MANILA, Philippines — An official of a Leftist group on Wednesday labeled the rejection of Rafael Mariano as Agrarian Reform secretary a "clear victory for landlords and oligarchs," a development which could spell the end of the more than a year of tenuous alliance between President Rodrigo Duterte and progressive organizations.

Renato Reyes, secretary general of the national democrat Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, said that Mariano's rejection by the Commission on Appointments showed that Duterte has already sided with people he labeled as "landlords and oligarchs."

Oligarchs, originally a Russian term, refers to a small group of people in control of a country or government.

Reyes said on his social media account that: "There is no room for progressives like Ka Paeng and Judy in a rotten and reactionary government. Ruling elite wants them expelled." 

He said that "responsibility for the CA rejection of Ka Paeng falls squarely on Duterte, who has sided with landlords and oligarchs. Farmers had placed their hope on Ka Paeng, a farmer-activist, but Duterte has other things in mind. He values more the interests of the economic elite and his generals.”

In a separate statement, Pamalakaya chairperson Fernando Hicap likewise blamed Duterte for Mariano's rejection by the CA. Pamalakaya is an organization of fisherfolk.

Reyes said that the former chairman of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas could walk out of the Senate with "his head up and fist raised." Judy Taguiwalo, whose appointment as Social Welfare secretary was also rejected by the CA, did the same when the congressional panel voted against her.

"Salamat, Ka Paeng sa tapat na paglilingkod sa masang magsasaka," he said.

Palace 'saddened' by rejection

Malacañang on Wednesday said that it was saddened by the rejection of Mariano, a famer activist nominated by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines to the Cabinet.

He is the fourth member of the chief executive's official family to be rejected by the Commission on Appointments after the body declined the designation of former Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr., former Environment chief Regina Lopez and of Taguiwalo.

"We regret the news of Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael 'Paeng' Mariano's rejection by the Commission on Appointments," Ernesto Abella, a spokesperson for Duterte, said.

Duterte is committed to the improvement to the quality of the lives of farmers, and Mariano has been vital in this thrust of the government, Abella said.

"Secretary Mariano has been pivotal in promoting farmers' rights and welfare and ensuring their security of land tenure," Abella said, adding that the Filipino people would always be grateful to Mariano for his "dedicated and passionate service to the nation."

Reyes however slammed the palace statement which he said was "as fake as fake news can be."

The CA in plenary adopted the recommendation of its Committee on Agrarian Reform chaired by Sen. Vicente Sotto III, who said that they arrived at the decision after hearing the objections of individuals over his appointment as well as studying documents submitted to them.

Sotto said that the result of the vote "shows that the weight of the scales ultimately tipped the balance against the confirmation of the appointee."

Mariano and Taguiwalo were nominees of the Left after Duterte reached out to it in an effort to jumpstart peace negotiations between the government and Maoist rebels. Former Gabriela party-list Rep. Liza Maza was also appointed to the National Anti-Poverty Commission while former Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon was tapped to head the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor.

During the hearings of the CA committee, Mariano denied favoring any farmers' groups after representatives of the Conjuanco-owned Hacienda Luisita accused him of favoring farmers with Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala), a KMP affiliate.

READ: DAR voids illegal lease, sale of Hacienda Luisita CARP lands 

“The ridiculous CA hearing alleged that Ka Paeng oppressed powerful landlords and colluded with the NPA without providing even a shred of evidence. Clearly, there was no justifiable reason for rejecting Ka Paeng if we go by performance and track record,” Reyes said.