DA job a dead-end while at odds with powerful person, economic managers —Piñol

Former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol on Wednesday took his oath as chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), days after he was appointed to the post by President Rodrigo Duterte.

It was Executive Salvador Medialdea who administered the oath of office to Piñol in Malacañang.

The new MinDA chief said his departure from the Department of Agriculture was in the “best interest” of the department and the stakeholders whom he thanked for their support.

“At odds with the economic managers and a very powerful political personality, I felt then that I would get nowhere in my dream to serve the farmers and fisherfolks,” Piñol said in a post on Facebook.

Piñol, who was replaced by Acting Agriculture Secretary William Dar last week, will serve as MinDA chair for six years.

Piñol said his new responsibility involved matters on agriculture, trade and commerce, international relations and security concerns.

He is also Duterte’s point person in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the national government’s representative to the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), a sub-regional economic cooperation grouping in Southeast Asia.

“Just as when I was Secretary of Agriculture I will work just as hard,” Piñol said.  —NB, GMA News