Piñol moves to Mindanao dev’t body

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte maintained his decision to assign Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol to the Mindanao Development Authority, weeks after the official had offered to resign.

“Secretary Piñol will be leaving the agriculture portfolio. It is difficult for me to deal with Mindanao because we have created a new political entity there, (under) the BOL (Bangsamoro Organic Law) or BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao), for that matter as it is known today,” Duterte said in his speech during the inauguration of the Chen Yi Agventures Rice Processing Complex in Alangalang, Leyte last Friday.

Duterte said he wants Piñol to stir things up for the BARMM.

“There seems to be a lag, I can see that there’s not much activity in really trying to devolve all powers of the national government relevant to the existence of BARMM,” he said.

“They seemed to be… I am not saying that they are not moving. But ever so slow that I would need a point man there in the likes of Secretary Piñol.”

Duterte expressed confidence that Piñol can help him better at the Mindanao Development Authority, which he said “is a special entity geared towards the full development of Mindanao.”

“With the changing political horizon there, we have to do what we promised to the Moro people,” Duterte said.

“I like to really seek peace for everybody. I do not want war in Mindanao. It would bring nothing but bleeding human beings. (The) problem are those traditional (revolutionaries), it’s only an issue of land and their territory,” Duterte said.

Although he has offered to resign, Piñol said earlier he will continue to work as agriculture chief until the President has acted on his resignation. Piñol tendered his resignation about two weeks ago.