Ex-Agri chief Manny Piñol files COC for senator in Eleksyon 2022

Former Agriculture secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol on Friday filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for senator in Eleksyon 2022.

He will run under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), a party chaired by vice presidential aspirant, Senate President Vicente Sotto III.

Asked why he did not run under the ruling party, PDP-Laban, Piñol admitted that he has “policy differences” with President Rodrigo Duterte’s economic managers, specifically with the implementation of the rice tariffication policy.

“That is one of the reasons why I was actually involved in a head-on collision with the economic managers, and I believe that if I joined the same party that promotes importation, that support rice tarrification, it would actually run counter to my principles and beliefs,” Piñol said.

Despite disagreements with the economic managers, Piñol said he maintained a good relationship with Duterte.

He said he also wrote a letter to Duterte last October 5, thanking him for the opportunity to serve as secretary of the Department of Agriculture and secretary of Mindanao Development Authority.

Piñol is among the senatorial bets that are being considered by the tandem of presidential aspirant, Senator Panfilo Lacson and Sotto.

The Lacson and Sotto tandem is talking with 14 senatorial aspirants for Eleksyon 2022.

They are expected to decide on their final 12 senatoriables over the weekend.

If elected, the former Agriculture chief said he will push for food sufficiency.

He vowed to review the Rice Tariffication Law, review of the country’s dependence on importation, and completion of around 2,000 kilometers unfinished farm to market roads across the country.

“Ako ay naniniwala na ang ating kakayahan bilang kalihim ng agrikultura at ang aking kaalaman sa sektor na ‘to ay makaktulong sa ating bansa,” he said.

(I believe that my experience as Agriculture secretary and my knowledge about the sector will help our country.)   —AOL/KBK, GMA News