Sueno dismissal won’t hurt DILG -7 operations

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Interior and Local Government-7 assured that the termination of Interior and Local Secretary Ismael "Mike" Sueno will not in any way disrupt or affect the agency’s operations.

DILG-7 Director Rene Burdeos said yesterday’s operations and transactions, for instance, went smoothly notwithstanding the dismissal of the secretary.

"A cabinet position is a position of trust and confidence. Secretaries serve at the pleasure of the President," he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte sacked Sueno, a former South Cotabato governor, amid corruption allegations from his subordinates, Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella confirmed yesterday.

Abella said Duterte cited "loss of trust and confidence" as reason for the official's dismissal.

Sueno's dismissal from office was announced at the end of the 14th Cabinet meeting on Monday, which he also attended.

DILG Provincial Director Jerome Gonzales echoed Burdeos’ assurance.

“Wala’y kausaban sa operations kay nakalatag naman na for the year. Maybe on the thrust but not the general operations. Wala’y programs nga mamilegro nga di mapadayon. Ang fight against illegal drugs in place naman,” he said.

“Operationally, we can still function because we have undersecretaries for local government unit, for instance. Naanad naman mi ani nga sige ilisan ang secretary. It’s not something unusual,” he added.

Gonzales said their programs and plans this year have already been laid out.

But if the new appointed secretary will bring in new programs, he said they will be incorporated in the agency’s existing operational plan and budget.

For Gonzales, Sueno is a person of high integrity, sincerity with a very high sense of purpose.

“I don’t see it (corruption) in him. Among nakita ang iyang integrity and sincerity sa service. In our dealings with him okay ra kaayo siya,” he said.

Lawyer Barry Gutierrez, legal adviser of  Vice President Leni Robredo, claimed that Sueno’s dismissal may be a “prelude” to the appointment of former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos as DILG secretary.

"Marcos as DILG Secretary can be ironically appropriate. Why not another Marcos to preside over an attempt to suspend the right to vote, reinstall rule by executive fiat, and maybe pave the way to authoritarianism?" Gutierrez said in a statement sent to The FREEMAN.

Guiterrez believed that the dismissal of Sueno was orchestrated to pave way for the appointment of Marcos as interior secretary.

Robredo’s legal adviser said that the role of interior secretary is important because aside from its vast powers the administration was already moving to cancel barangay elections and appoint barangay officials.

“This is all considering the administration's move to cancel the barangay elections and appoint, instead of elect, barangay officials, along with the myriad of responsibilities and powers of the secretary of DILG,” he said.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, for his part, said he was saddened by Sueno’s termination.

The mayor though is hoping that Sueno will not be replaced by Marcos.

Osmeña said Sueno is a “simple man” and a person who is “easy to talk to.”

He said he was able to talk to Sueno last year in the wake of the removal of the mayor's operational supervision authority over the city's policemen.

The mayor said he explained to Sueno that it was reportedly National Police Commission-7 head Homer Mariano Cabaral who was behind the removal of his police deputization.

"I personally talked to him (Sueno) when there was this thing on this stupid allegation by Homer Cabaral about me giving rewards and all the distortion. I explained to him (Sueno) and he's very easy to talk to," he said.

To recall, Napolcom removed Osmeña's duties, obligations, powers and prerogatives as deputy of the commission after the mayor reportedly stopped giving incentive allowance to new police officers and gasoline allowance for the patrols of the Cebu City Police Office.

Osmeña did not have good relationship with the police chiefs after the head quarters ordered the reshuffling of top police officers in the city. —Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon, Kristine B. Quintas and Jean Marvette A. Demecillo (FREEMAN)