MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed William Dar as the new acting Agriculture Secretary, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said Monday.

“Acting secretary,” Medialdea briefly responded when asked if Dar was appointed as the Agriculture chief.

Dar was a former director-general of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and acting Agriculture secretary of former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada.

Dar will replace Emmanuel Piñol who served the agency for three years. Duterte earlier said Piñol will lead the Mindanao Development Authority. /je