Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol has offered to be relieved from his post and assigned to another government post such as the Mindanao Development Authority, Senator-elect Christopher Go said yesterday.
Go announced that Piñol was willing to relinquish his post in a letter to President Duterte ahead of his oath-taking in Malacanang last night.
“With the best interest of the Department of Agriculture and its stakeholders in mind, may I request that I be relieved from my present position as Secretary of Agriculture and reassigned to whichever agency you believe I would be effective, including the Mindanao Development Authority,” Piñol said in a statement sent to the President and Go.
“I am a loyal friend and supporter and I will always make sure that I will be able to contribute to the implementation of your priority programs in the last three years,” he said.
Go, who read Piñol’s statement to the media, said the President has yet to decide on the fate of Piñol.
He said Piñol felt the President might no longer trust him at the DA after some Cabinet members have reportedly blamed him for the rice supply problems in the country last year. “Sa tingin niya wala na pong tiwala si Pangulong Duterte sa kanya. He is willing to give up the position,” he said.
Asked Piñol’s letter was a courtesy resignation, Go said: “Parang ganon.”
To ensure continuity of the DA programs, Go said Piñol has recommended that his successor be chosen from three undersecretaries, Waldo Carpio, Ariel Cayanan, and Francisco Villano.
Piñol asked the President to implement a transition period of one month to ensure the orderly turnover of all DA projects.
“I will be ready to assume a new post by August 1 of this year,” he said. (Genalyn Kabiling)
