National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Secretary Liza Maza declared on Wednesday that the rejection of Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano’s appointment as Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary has “significantly narrowed” the space for reform under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. In a statement, Maza, the only remaining left-leaning member in Duterte’s official family, said that the Commission on Appointments’ (CA) rejection of Mariano “is a rejection of the clamor for genuine change and development.”“The space for reform has been narrowed to accommodate the few and powerful,” Maza noted. But such hopes for reforms dimmed, Maza said, because the CA “chose to side with few hacienderos over millions of farmers struggling to own the land they till.”READ: CA rejects Mariano’s appointment at DAROn Wednesday, the CA rejected Mariano’s appointment with 13 votes. He was the fourth member of the Duterte Cabinet to be rejected by the CA. Previously, the CA rejected the appointments of fellow progressive leader former Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, as well as Environment Secretary Regina “Gina” Lopez, and Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. kga

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 06, 2017 09:45 UTC