Hands off politics, Sec. Año tells DILG execs, personnel

DEPARTMENT of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary, Eduardo M. Año, reminded his subordinates and department personnel to remain apolitical in the coming 2022 elections and to remain “professional” at all times as he also lays down the 5 key areas he intends to focus on in the remaining 6 months of the Duterte administration.

“Responsibilidad nating manatiling non-partisan at propesyonal. We must not be swayed by politics nor by the temptations of vested interests.

“As public servants, our loyalty bows to the Filipino people alone and our service lives on regardless of who will assume the throne,” stressed the highly respected former Armed Forces chief of staff, said during the DILG’s first flag ceremony last January 4, 2022.

Instead of meddling in politics, Año said DILG officials should always “promote good governance and guide the next elected officials to assume their responsibilities with credence, excellence, and integrity.”

Giving support to CPP-NPA, ‘intolerable’

In a much earlier statement, on October 11, 2021, Año warned LGUs that those giving money to terrorist groups, such as the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), would face both administrative and criminal charges, if found out.

Año’s warning came as he reminded candidates of Memorandum Circular 2019-26, which describes the practice of giving ‘permit to campaign and permit to win’ fees to the CPP-NPA as “clear extortion and desecration of the sanctity of the right to vote.”

“All local officials should not be directly or indirectly involved in providing any kind of support to the CPP-NPA as this is a clear violation of the law.

“This is something in the DILG under my leadership that I will not allow,” said Año, who has spent over 3 decades of his military career in the fight against CPP-NPA terrorism.

5 key areas for the DILG in next 6 months

Año instead called on department officials and personnel to better focus their attention in ensuring the success of the government’s campaigns in 5 key areas, namely, against criminality and terrorism, COVID-19 response, disaster preparedness and the full devolution of executive powers to local government units (LGUs).

“The next six months will be telling of how strongly the department has been able to lay the cornerstones of peace and order, public safety, and good governance as a result of its various initiatives against illegal drugs, criminality, insurgency, and terrorism,” Año said.

Año said the support of civil society organizations and the citizenry “will be crucial” in these efforts like in the past year as this led to more drug-cleared, communist-free, and safer barangays nationwide.

“Kaya naman kailangan nating ipagpatuloy at pagtibayin ang pundasyon ng mga programa para panatilihing ligtas at malaya ang mga komunidad na ito.

“Let us ensure public order will be maintained and guide our attached and partner agencies in sustaining the gains we have attained thus far,” he said.

The DILG chief also stressed that the “battle” against COVID-19 remains a top priority of the department.

“With the Omicron variant lurking in our midst, we must be quicker, wiser and one step ahead of the virus. Marami na tayong sinakripisyo at natutunan mula sa mga karanasan natin noon kaya hindi dapat tayo magkumpiyansa,” he reminded his audience.

He said the DILG must continue to urge LGUs to ramp up their vaccination efforts to the rest of the population, including giving booster shots while also preparing for the vaccination of children aged 5-11 years old.

With most of the Visayas and Mindanao still reeling from the onslaught of Typhoon Odette that made landfall last December 16, 2021, Año acknowledged that disasters pose a huge matter of concern as he assured that the DILG will continue to enhance the capacities of LGUs on disaster risk reduction and management.

“Indeed, it is time we put an end to these tragedies, sweep the rubble away, and rebuild a nation resilient enough to withstand disasters and crises with minimal casualties,” said Año, who is also the vice chair for disaster preparedness of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

In line with the declared policy of the State on decentralization, Año said that the Supreme Court (SC) ruling on the Mandanas-Garcia petitions “is another milestone in the continuing journey towards genuine local autonomy and empowerment.”

“With the SC’s Mandanas-Garcia ruling fully in effect…we must support, assist and guide our LGUs through the transition period…

“… (L)et us drill good governance into the heart of LGU actions and demand greater responsibility and accountability from local leaderships,” he said.

Under Executive Order 138, series of 2021, the DILG is mandated as the Co-Chairperson of the interagency and multi-sectoral Committee on Devolution (Com Dev), tasked to oversee and monitor the implementation of administrative and fiscal decentralization goals of the Mandanas ruling.