Duterte reappoints bypassed Cabinet execs

MANILA, Philippines - President Duterte has reappointed nine Cabinet members bypassed by the Commission on Appointments (CA) last month before the month-long Christmas recess of Congress.

Reappointed were Emmanuel Piñol of agriculture, Rafael Mariano of agrarian reform, Leonor Briones of education, Regina Lopez of environment and natural resources, Paulyn Jean Ubial of health, Vitaliano Aguirre II of justice, Judy Taguiwalo of social welfare and development, Ramon Lopez of trade and industry, and Perfecto Yasay Jr. of foreign affairs.

Malacañang has submitted the Cabinet members’ new appointments to the CA for confirmation or rejection.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III, who is CA majority leader, said the commission would shortly schedule hearings on the reappointed Cabinet members.

He said he would like to get Piñol’s comment on his proposal to return four agriculture-related agencies to the Department of Agriculture.

The four are the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), National Food Authority (NFA), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA).

President Duterte has placed these offices under the supervision of Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr., who recently took over housing agencies after the resignation of Vice President Leni Robredo from the Cabinet.

Albano said returning the four agencies to the agriculture department is critical in the overall planning and implementation of programs for rice and agricultural products sufficiency.

“For instance, how can Secretary Piñol effectively visualize the requirements for enhancing rice production if he does not control irrigation? You cannot produce rice without irrigation,” he said. He said that returning the NFA to the DA “makes a lot of sense.”

“You cannot separate rice production from rice importation. With the NFA under Piñol, he could plan for rice importation, if it is needed, based on rice production data generated by DA agencies,” he added.

He stressed that with the return of the NFA to the DA, Piñol would have sole responsibility for the sufficiency or insufficiency of rice in the market.

As for the PCA and FPA, Albano said the two offices, like the NFA and NIA, are agriculture-related.

He also said the return of the four to the DA would also allow Evasco to focus on his new job as housing czar, in addition to being secretary to the Duterte Cabinet.

“The latter post alone was a full-time job under P-Noy, held by former energy secretary Jose Rene Almendras. Aside from preparing for the weekly Cabinet meetings, the Cabinet secretary follows up and coordinates with Cabinet members on what was taken up in these meetings,” he said.