They’re still friends, after all.
Manny Piñol, who resigned as agriculture secretary over policy disagreements with President Duterte’s economic managers, is now being endorsed by Duterte himself as a guest candidate for senator of the ruling PDP-Laban in the May 2022 elections.
The President’s endorsement of Piñol came only three days after he filed his certificate of candidacy for senator under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) in a move that initially appeared to complete his break from Duterte, his friend and long-time ally.
“We’ve had differences in the Cabinet over policies, but we have remained friends,” Piñol said.
Piñol stepped down as agriculture secretary– although he stayed in the Cabinet as chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA)– after he opposed the Rice Tariffication Law endorsed by Duterte’s economic managers, who had insisted that rice importation would bring down the prices of the staple in the country.
Instead, rice prices increased, but the vindication was no consolation for Piñol, who vowed to continue to work for the welfare of farmers and other agricultural workers as chairman of MinDA.
He said he decided to run for senator when he noticed that none of those running for the Senate had listed the agricultural sector as a priority. He rejoined his old party, NPC, under standard-bearers Senator Ping Lacson and Senate President Tito Sotto when he was snubbed by other slates.
Duterte’s endorsement was announced on Oct. 11, following the President’s meeting with religious leader Apollo Quiboloy in Davao City.
Piñol is the second guest candidate of the PDP-Laban slate. The other is former public works secretary Mark Villar of the Nacionalista Party.
Piñol and Villar resigned from the Cabinet last week before filing their certificates of candidacy.
The President’s endorsement was seen as an effort to boost the ruling party’s chances in the elections, although Duterte himself admitted in a quick interview with the media that it would be a tall order for PDP-Laban to sweep the senatorial elections.
“Although I questioned the economic policies of his economic managers, especially on RTL, he respected my position and we remained friends. President Digong is the lone baptismal godfather of my son, Imman, and the wedding godfather of my daughter, Dra. Krista,” he said.
A journalist and agriculturist, Piñol developed a friendship with then Davao City Mayor Duterte when he entered politics in 1995 after being elected mayor of M’lang, Cotabato and later as governor of Cotabato three years later. He went on to serve nine years as governor and three years as vice governor of Cotabato.
When Duterte ran for president in 2016, Piñol was one of his biggest supporters and campaigners. He became one of the first Cabinet members appointed by Duterte.
PDP-Laban’s senatorial slate include Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones, PACC Chairman Greco Belgica and Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gringo Honasan. They are deemed to have resigned after filing their certificates of candidacies.