Piñol offers to resign

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol has offered to resign from his post and asked President Duterte to assign him to whichever government agency he could be more effective, Senator-elect Christopher “Bong” Go confirmed on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Go said he received Piñol’s email addressed to the President.

“With the best interest of the Department of Agriculture and its stakeholders, may I request that I be relieved from my present position as secretary of agriculture and reassigned to whichever agency you believe I will be effective, including the Mindanao Development Authority, or MinDA,” Piñol’s emailed letter read.

The offer to resign came amid rumors that Duterte would be implementing a Cabinet revamp and that Piñol might be replaced by William Dar. But Malacañang earlier dismissed such speculation and said the President still had full trust and confidence in the agriculture official.

Go said Duterte had yet to act on Piñol’s resignation letter.

“The President is very sensitive on matters like this, especially [when] the legacy of his administration is at stake. And agriculture is very important to him,” the senator-elect said.

Asked if Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III was among those who had recommended Piñol’s removal, Go said: “I cannot confirm, but it seems like that.”

Added Go: “[Piñol] thinks the President has lost trust in him. He is willing to give up the position … He is willing to accept wherever the President assigns him.”

If Piñol is assigned to the MinDA, “[the President’s] trust is still there,” Go said.