THE Commission on Appointments on Wednesday rejected the confirmation of Rafael Mariano as secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform, the second leftist in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte to get the nod.
Mariano is expected to to vacate his office immediately following his rejection by the bicameral body. He is also the fourth member of Duterte’s official family who failed to win confirmation.
The same body had dismissed the appointments of then Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr., Environment secretary Regina Lopez and Social Welfare secretary Judy Taguiwalo.
Senate Majorty Leader Vicente Sotto III said 13 votes were reached to reject Mariano’s appoinrment after three hearings to consider 24 endorsements, 11 oppositions, one joint resolution on the Regional Development Council- Regional Peace and Order Council (RDC-RPOC), Region XI, and numerous documents, to inquire into all the issues on his impartiality, objectivity, conflicts of interest and adherence to the rule of law.
“Members asked probing and tough questions of Secretary Mariano, with a view towards eliciting his core beliefs and principles, in order to determine how he sees his role as secretary of the Department, which is critical to the successful implementation of government’s agrarian reform program,” said Sotto, also chairman of the Senate committee on agrarian reform.
During the hearings, Sotto said members had expressed hope that Mariano, being a true farmer and having been nominated by the National Democraric Front and its allied organizations, would be the perfect candidate to serve as bridge betwen the Duterte administration, which he now serves, and the “left center” forces from whose ranks he came.
Furthermore, Sotto said members were also counting on him to be the best surrogate for the President to genuinely identify and relate the serious concerns of farmers like him, but without losing sight of the equally valid interests of the landowners.
“After an exhaustive deliberation and impartial scrutiny of the testimonies, endorsements and oppositions and other documents submitted, your committee called for a vote, in accordance with the rules, the result of which shows that the weight of the scales ultimately tipped the balance against the confirmation of the appointee,” Sotto said.
“Therefore, it is with heavy heart that I, as chairman of your committee in agrarian reform, hereby respectfully submit the result of the voting of your committee, which resulted in 13 votes against the confirmation of the ad interim appointment of Mr. Rafael ‘Ka Paeng’ Vitriolo Mariano as secretary of DAR,” Sotto added.
Sought for his comment after the CA rejected his confirmation, Mariano said he will not stop serving the farmers.
On this day, Mariano said, the interests of the businessmen, the oligarchs and the big corporations prevailed, but he believes time will come when the farmers’ interest will prevail.
During the confirmation hearing, Mariano was confronted by Senator Loren Legarda, who asked if he had ever joined violent actions in pushing for his advocacy.
Mariano responded that despite being the President of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and Bayan, he had never supported any violent means against the government nor had he violated the Constitution.
As DAR secretary, Mariano has maintained he doesn’t support any armed struggle but has remained hopeful the representatives of the government and the NDF will go back to the negotiating table to talk peace.
Mariano was also questioned by CA members about a resolution forwarded by the RDC- RPOC, Region XI over the New People’s Army attacks at the facilities of Lapanday Foods Corp. early this year.
The resolution was signed by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Eduardo Año, AFP Eastern Mindanao Command commander Lieutenant General Rey Leonardo Guerrero, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, and Davao Occidental Governor Claude Bautista.
In the explanatory note of the joint resolution dated May 5, the RDC and RPOC said: “It was pointed out that, based on intelligence reports, officials of the national government have been linked to the Lapanday incidents.”
“It was in fact suggested that the GRP Peace Panel recommend to the Office of the President to exclude these officials, particularly the secretary of the DAR from representing the government in the peace panel as they are reported to have direct participation in planning of the Lapanday incidents, thus, have betrayed the trust of the Office of the President,” the resolution said.
Mariano branded these as “baseless, unfounded, and malicious” allegations and dismissed his reported involvement in the Lapanday incident.
In last Tuesday’s hearing, Lapanday said Mariano abused his authority and mocked the Constitution for conspiring with members of Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association Inc. (MARBAI) to take over the land in Tagum, Davao del Norte.
Mariano was also pressed by Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Sato on his stand on the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, which he has criticized as being “fake.”
Mariano said he simply wants to review some of its provisions, including the prescriptive five-year period requiring landowners to implement a development plan of converted land. He said the DAR is mandated to review if landowners complied with developing the land, and if not, it can be converted to agricultural lands.
At this juncture, Senator Panfilo Lacson asked Mariano if there is an element of subjectivity in these reviews.
Before being questioned by CA members, Mariano had guaranteed that all acts of the DAR under his term will be in accordance with the law, saying he will never support nor endorse any illegal activities of farmers organizations and agrarian reform beneficiaries.
“This public servant intends to serve justice in the highest of interest that ensures na fairness…I will do my duties within the bounds of the law. We do not endorse and support illegal activities outside the bounds of the law,” said Mariano, who also served as representative of Anakpawis party-list.
Mariano also said that funds allocated to DAR will be used for the purpose for which they were intended.
Mariano, along with Taguiwalo and former Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza, were nominees of Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison who had engaged President Rodrigo Duterte in a word war.
Senator Miguel Zubiri, who voted to confirm Mariano, said he was disappointed by his rejection. He said Mariano, with a heart for the landless, was most qualified to head the DAR.
Rep. Rodolfo Albano, meanwhile, debunked claims there were pressures from Malacañang to reject Mariano.
The President, he added, had nothing to do with the CA decision.
Malacanang on Wednesday expressed regret that Mariano’s confirmation was rejected.
“Our people will always be grateful to Secretary Mariano for his dedicated and passionate service to the nation,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said.
Abella lauded Mariano’s efforts to improve the plight of farm workers.
About 2 million farmers belonging to the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas condemned the CA’s rejection of Mariano.
Antonio Flores, KMP secretary-general, blamed President Duterte’s loyalty to landlords and oligarchs, and said he had a direct hand in Mariano’s rejection.
He said the President’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, was among the oppositors to Mariano’s confirmation because her husband, Manases Carpio, was legal counsel of Lapanday Foods Corp.
Other leftist groups also slammed Mariano’s rejection. With John Paolo Bencito and Bill Casas