Despite CA rejection, Mariano vows to keep fighting for farmers

Rafael Mariano joins supporters staging a rally outside the Senate building. —LYN RILLON

Rafael Mariano on Wednesday failed to get confirmation from the Commission on Appointments (CA) to be the agrarian reform secretary but he remained undaunted in championing the rights of farmers.

“It’s clear that the decision of the CA tipped the balance in favor of the interest of the landlords, the oligarchs and private corporations … but we will continue to defend and assert the rights of the farmers,” Mariano told reporters.

The CA committee on agrarian reform, chaired by Sen. Vicente Sotto III, rejected Mariano’s nomination, ending the former Anakpawis representative’s more than one-year stay at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

Mariano, a former leader of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, was the fourth member of President Duterte’s Cabinet to be turned down by the CA.

Malacañang said it regretted the CA decision to reject Mariano, which came three weeks after the rejection of the nomination of Judy Taguiwalo, an activist jailed during the Marcos regime, as social welfare secretary.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Mariano had been vital to the administration’s thrust to help farmers.

In delivering the CA decision, Sotto said 13 voted against the confirmation of Mariano’s  appointment. He did not disclose their names.

“[T]he committee called for a vote, the result of which shows that the weight of the scales ultimately tipped the balance against the confirmation of the appointee,” Sotto said.

But the senator said that personally, he believed Mariano was “capable, competent and with integrity,” having known him for a long time.

Legarda, Pacquiao

During the hearing and before the committee went into executive session to cast their votes, Sen. Loren Legarda also expressed support for Mariano after he gave “competent” answers to her queries.

“I highly endorse the gentleman who I believe can lend a good voice to and can help the farmers,” Legarda said.

Sen. Manny Pacquiao also manifested his support, saying Mariano greatly helped in the distribution of land to poor farmers as head of the DAR.

Davao Oriental Rep. Joel Mayo Almario said that while he sympathized with those who opposed the nomination and saw their reason for opposing, he personally would have wanted him confirmed for two reasons.

Almario said Mariano would have been successful in educating farmer-beneficiaries and in stopping the practice of illegally selling their lands as an apparent solution to their financial woes.

With Mariano at the DAR, he would have also helped state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines to live up to its charter of supporting farmers and fishermen, he said.

Sotto’s committee conducted three hearings, grilling Mariano on his impartiality, objectivity, conflicts of interest, and adherence to the rule of law and on the objections by landowners, farmers, barangay leaders and a banana grower.

He said the committee scrutinized 24 endorsements, 11 objections and a joint resolution of the Davao Regional Development Council and the Regional Peace and Order Council that cited an intelligence report linking Mariano to the attacks of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) on the facilities of banana grower Lapanday Foods Corp. in Davao City.

After his rejection, Mariano said the confirmation proceedings showed the country the deep-seated conflict of various interests in the implementation of agrarian reform laws.

“Genuine land distribution means conflict of interests between landlords and the poor farmers, and the private corporations and public interest,” he told reporters.

At the hearing, Mariano repeatedly said he never joined the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. —WITH A REPORT FROM LEILA B. SALAVERRIA