President Rodrigo Duterte said that Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol would be transferred to Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

“I’d like to just also mention that Secretary Piñol will be leaving the agriculture portfolio,” Duterte said in a speech in Alangalang, Leyte on Friday.

The President said he needs a "point man" to coordinate with the newly-created Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

“I’m having a hard time in Mindanao because we have created a new political entity there, the BOL (Bangsamoro Organic Law) or BARMM, for that matter as it is known today. There seems to be a lag… there’s not much activity in really trying to devolve all --- all powers of the national government relevant to the existence of BARMM,” Duterte said.

“I am not saying that they are not moving. But ever so slow that I would need a point man there in the likes of Secretary Piñol,” he added.

Duterte said MinDA is a special entity geared towards the full development of Mindanao.

“With the changing political horizon there, we have to do what we promised to the Moro people,” he said.

In an interview with reporters last month, Duterte said he was considering Piñol to act as the national government's coordinator with the BARMM.

But he said that he had to coordinate first with Bangsamoro government interim chief minister Al Haj Murad Ebrahim. Ella Dionisio/DMS