President Duterte appoints AFP chief Año as next DILG Chief

Pilipinas Ngayon

President Duterte appoints AFP chief Año as next DILG Chief

‘My junta is nearly complete’

The months-long guessing game on who will be the next secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Governments is over: he is Armed Forces Chief of Staff Eduardo M. Año, who was introduced by President Duterte himself at departure rites before he flew to Cambodia Wednesday. At the same time, he justified packing his Cabinet with more ex-soldiers, joking that soon, he will have a complete “junta” on board.

Pressed by a reporter on whom among the May 9, 2016 losing candidates might land positions in his Cabinet with the lapse of the one-year ban on appointing also-runs, Duterte asked General Año to step in front and stand facing the reporter, and then said, “you are facing the next DILG secretary.”

The President gave an implied justification of his choice of the top soldier for DILG, saying “I have a problem with the police…” adding that a soldier might be better suited to help him discipline the PNP, which is under DILG supervision. Duterte said he is confident his choice of Año is as proper as his selection of another AFP chief, Gen. Roy Cimatu, whom he named Environment secretary on Monday, replacing Gina Lopez who was rejected by the Commission on Appointments.

“You are now facing the next DILG Secretary,” the President told reporters while gesturing to Año, who was summoned to stand next to Duterte after a question about new Cabinet appointments was raised.

Duterte said he needs a military man at the DILG’s helm because he has “a problem with the police.”

“You need somebody who knows the police,” he said, after expressing disgust at the news of four Makati policemen who extorted money from a family they kidnapped.

Aside from dealing with errant cops, Duterte said a DILG chief with military background is necessary to deal with the country’s problem with terrorism.

“The problem with terrorism looms very big ahead. The IS (Islamic State) is coming in. May bakbakan sa Mindanao ngayon,” he said.

Año is set to retire in October.

Speculation was rife as to who would head the DILG after Duterte fired Ismael Sueno in April over corruption allegations. Among the names rumored to be considered for the post were former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and House Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas.

Before his appointment as AFP chief of staff, Año served as the 57th Commanding General of the Philippine Army from July 16, 2015 to December 7, 2016.[3][4] He was also the chief of Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) from 2012 to 2014.

He joked that with Cimatu and Año on his Cabinet, “dadagdagan ko pa ng isang military, kumpleto na ‘yung junta [I will add one more soldier and my junta will be complete].”

[source] interaksyon

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