CA rejects Mariano as DAR secretary

MANILA - The influential Commission on Appointments (CA) rejected Wednesday, September 6, the ad interim appointment of Rafael Mariano as Agrarian Reform secretary.

Senator Vicente Sotto III announced the rejection of Mariano as Department of the Agrarian Reform (DAR) chief after the CA convened in the plenary session.

Earlier in the day, Mariano expressed hopes that the CA will give him a chance to be part the government's program and to be able to contribute to national development that will help the poor Filipino people.

But despite the rejection, Mariano said his fight for genuine agrarian reform will continue and his strong stand to help the poor Filipino farmers will remain the same.

Mariano, a former Anakpawis partylist representative, is the last remaining leftist in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte.

During his confirmation, Mariano said that he has never participated in or supported armed violent action in pushing his advocacy.

When asked to explain on his advocacy, Mariano

expressed the belief that the only solution to present social problems is if the government will consider giving the farmers their own land to till.

"Hangga't hindi natin nasosolusyonan ang pundamental na kawalan ng lupa ng ating mahihirap na magsasaka, hindi po malulutas at matutuldukan and agrarian unrest na siyang pinag-uugatan ng pagkakaroon ng social unrest na siya pinanggagalingan ng sigalot sa ating lipunan," Mariano told the CA body during the question hour.