After the oppositors finished with their questions, Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said the Commission on Appointments can vote today whether to approve or reject the appointment of Department of Agrarian Reform Rafael Mariano.
Sotto, chairman of the CA committee on agrarian reform said the CA will likely go into executive session after the hearing on Wednesday, scheduled at 10 a.m.
Sotto said that after the oppositors, it will be the turn of the CA members to ask questions.
It took three hours for the oppositors to raise their questions to Mariano on Tuesday.
“We’ll go into executive session afterwards, I’m sure. If we are satisfied, the we will vote tomorrow,” he said.
Sotto said if the powerful congressional body goes into executive session, the voting on Mariano’s nomination will be conducted through secret balloting. At least 13 votes are needed to get a majority vote on whether to approve or reject the DAR secretary’s appointment.
Asked if he is confident of getting a confirmation, Mariano said he felt that his appointment to the post last July 23, 2017, was already an expression of support from President Rodrigo Duterte.
He said he did not have apprehension or doubt when he first faced the CA for his confirmation hearing..
“If I am asked about the support of President Rordrigo Duterte, issuance of the ad interim appointment by President Duterte, for me, it is already an expression of his continuing trust as secretary of the Agrarian Reform,” he added.
The CA last week deferred action on the nomination of Mariano after Senator Gringo Honasan moved to suspend the confirmation hearing in order to digest the issues hounding the DAR chief.
The nomination of Mariano, former Anakpawis Party-List representative and president of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, drew 19 endorsements and 10 oppositions. However, only oppositor, Maria Teresa Gallego, who represented his father, Manuel Gallego Jr., was heard in the hearing.
The commission earlier rejected the appointment of Judy Taguiwalo as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Like Taguiwalo, Mariano is identified with the Left.
Despite the rejection of Taguiwalo and the CA members saying links to the NPA cost her yhe position, Mariano said that he had never been a member of CPP-NPA-NDF.
Mariano said he had explained the history of his involvement in the peasant movement from the start until he is now a member of the legal democratic ogranization as DAR secretary.
As alter-ego of the President, Mariano said he remains a consultant of the GRP panel particularly with regards to talks on social economic reforms.
Meanwhile, more farmers showed their support for Mariano as the Commission on Appointments continued its confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
Mariano faced at least ten petitioners opposing his confirmation which are mostly big landowners and their allies.
“Farmers will not let the landlords win today. President Rodrigo Duterte and the CA must heed the strong clamor for the confirmation of Ka Paeng as agrarian reform secretary,” said Danilo Ramos, chairperson of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP).
“We have campaigned and rallied nationwide support for Ka Paeng’s confirmation. He enjoys the trust and confidence of farmers and broad sectors. His rejection would be equal to the rejection of genuine land reform and DAR’s best chance to fulfill its mandate to serve farmers and effect significant change,” the KMP leader said.
Those who presented their case against Mariano’s confirmation were Ricardo Quintos, Noel Mallari, Rodel Mesa, Angelito Bais, Roberto Nidera, Barangay leaders of Sta. Catalina, Asturias, Motrico villages in Tarlac City, Edgar Aguas, Manolito Dagatan and Hernani Geronimo.
“Mallari, Mesa, Bais who are posing as farmers and the petitioners from Tarlac City are known minions of Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) and the Cojuangco-Aquino family. They are among the detractors of the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA), the organization of Luisita farm workers that is staunchly campaigning against the land grabbing of Cojuangco-Aquinos in Luisita,” Ramos said.
“BS Aquino III is not President anymore. They’re not in power anymore but the Cojuangco-Aquinos are doing everything they can to prevent land reform and the alleviation of farmers’ plight. Hacienda Luisita Inc. is the mastermind of the opposition against Mariano’s confirmation,” the KMP leader added.
The KMP alleged that Ricardo Quintos, a big landlord from Mindoro Occidental is a long-time adversary of peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, adding that Quintos is attempting to implicate Mariano in the 1997 double-murder of his sons Michael and Paul Quintos.
“The controversial Mamburao 6 that involved six farmers turned political prisoners who were accused, convicted and sentenced of the crime they did not commit. In fact, President Duterte recently pardoned Manolito Matricio and Josue Ungsod who are among the ‘Mamburao 6’.
“The accusations against Mariano are desperate attempts by landlords to remove him at DAR and reverse the significant reforms that he is implementing within the agency. While at DAR, Ka Paeng has adopted the DAR for farmers and Land for farmers principle and this has infuriated landlords all the more,” said Ramos.
Also among the known opposition to Mariano’s confirmation is the Lorenzo family of Lapanday Foods Corporation in Tagum City, Davao.
In May this year, DAR distributed some 149-hectares of land to 158 farmers from the Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Inc. (MARBAI).
Farmers and indigenous people from Davao region, Western Mindanao, Northern Mindanao and Cagayan Valley joined Tuesday’s mass actions at the Senate.
Thousands of DAR employees nationwide have also persistently demanded for Mariano’s confirmation. “There is no doubt that DAR employees want Mariano as their leader at the agency,” said Ramos.
Farmers from Southern Luzon, Central Luzon and Caraga regions held a vigil anew last Monday night outside the Senate to show the peasantry’s unwavering support for Mariano.