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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Cong Pimentel urges busy PBBM to name full-time DA chief

Cong Pimentel urges busy PBBM to name full-time DA chief

Published May 11, 2023 03:18 am
Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel (left), President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Facebook, Speaker's office)






The calls for President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to designate a full-time Department of Agriculture (DA) secretary is beginning to snowball. Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel said its about time for Marcos to appoint a DA chief so he may focus on his functions as Chief Executive. "I think it’s about time the President has to appoint a full-fledged secretary to head the DA so that he could concentrate on his duties as President," Pimentel, a member of the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) said. Marcos is the concurrent DA secretary. Asked if Marcos may have been spreading himself too thin, Pimentel said, "Yes." The President took up the role of DA head honcho at the start of his term last year as a way to respond to what he called a looming food crisis. In previous months, Marcos stepped up efforts to reduce the price of rice, as it was part of his campaign promise to make P20 per kilo rice available to Filipinos. Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo were among the House members who earlier urged the President to name a full-time DA chief. This coincided with the lapse of the appointment ban on non-winning candidates in the May 9, 2022 elections. Pimentel said Marcos "should choose someone who has a background in agriculture and not just a political accommodation". Pimentel is a senior member of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) party.

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Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. Johnny Pimentel Department of Agriculture
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