KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) -- South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. clarifies that he is not leaving South Cotabato to become the secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
 
This following reports that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. offered him the post of agriculture secretary. 
 
Vice Governor Arthur Pingoy Jr. announced during a press conference on September 4 that PBBM has asked Gov. Tamayo to lead the agriculture department.
 
On Monday, September 11, Governor Tamayo told officials and employees of the provincial government that he has not considered leaving South Cotabato for the post in DA.
 
“Sa lahat ng mga kababayan natin dito sa probinsiya, ito ang tatandaan ninyo. Hindi talaga pumasok sa aking isipan na talagang iiwanan ko ang probinsiya, sa panahon na mayroon tayong mandatos bilang elected official ng ating probinsiya,” he said during the Monday convocation program of the provincial LGU.
 
He added that he had already met with PBBM on the matter, where he expressed his preference to help the president’s efforts in other ways that would not require relegating his responsibilities as governor. “Nag-usap kami ng Presidente kung baka mayroong ibang paraan na makakatulong ako pagdating sa pagbibigay advices pagdating sa ating departamento sa agrikultura."
 
Meanwhile, during the Governor Meets the Press, the local chief executive explained that he was not the only one to whom PBBM offered the position.
 
He also pointed out that there are several ways to assist the president’s national programs, such as in non-portfolio positions.
 
“There are ways that I can help our president. Maybe in a non-portfolio position, I can. An example to this is NAPC,” he said.
 
Tamayo is the national president of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, vice chairperson of the National Anti-Poverty Council (NAPC),  national president of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP), and chairperson of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP). (DED -- PIA SOCCSKSARGEN)