YEARENDER: Tragic events thrust DILG into spotlight

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) figured prominently in the headlines in 2010 due primarily to two unfortunate incidents: the bloody hostage crisis at Rizal Park last Aug. 23 and the fire tragedy in Tuguegarao City last Dec. 19.

The hostage-taking incident, where eight Hong Kong tourists were killed, involved the Philippine National Police (PNP) while the fire in Tuguegarao City, where 16 persons died, was a concern of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). Both the PNP and the BFP are attached agencies of the DILG.

When the Aquino administration took over last June 30, the DILG was already in the spotlight due to questions on who would head the department under the new administration.

As Aquino started to fill Cabinet positions, Vice President Jejomar Binay indicated interest in the DILG, banking on his experience of more than a decade as mayor of Makati City.

While Binay’s accomplishments could not be underestimated, the President turned down Binay’s “feelers” and said he had “somebody in mind” to handle the DILG.

At that time, former Naga City mayor Jesse Robredo was deemed to be the choice of the public and media for the DILG post. Robredo was a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for good governance after transforming Naga from a third-class municipality to a premier city.

The guessing game continued as the President temporarily took over the department. Later, the President appointed his shooting buddy Rico Escalona Puno as DILG undersecretary for peace and order.

On July 10, the Palace announced Robredo’s appointment to the DILG.

As the year drew to a close, the President confirmed to The STAR that there would be a minor reshuffle in the Cabinet in January, and the question whether or not Robredo would stay on still hangs in the balance.

Much ado about jueteng

Robredo and Puno had barely warmed their seats when they were linked to jueteng payola.

The DILG undersecretary admitted jueteng operators had sent emissaries to his office but claimed he did not entertain them because he knew his closeness with President Aquino would be compromised.

Robredo and Puno denied having received money from jueteng operations, but some quarters demanded their resignation.

Even before the jueteng controversy died down, the hostage-taking incident at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila last Aug. 23 grabbed the headlines. The DILG was blamed for failure to issue guidelines in properly handling the incident.

Robredo let it be known that he should not be held accountable for the bungled police rescue operation since Puno was the one in charge of the daily activities of the PNP on orders of the President.

Some quarters again demanded the resignation of Robredo and Puno, but the two top DILG officials said they were serving at the pleasure of the President, who decided to keep them.

A call for good governance

At the start of the year, the DILG, through the PNP, had its hands full addressing the problem of private armies in preparation for the national and local elections in May.

The DILG also handled the appointment of the interim administration in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) after the Nov. 23, 2009 massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao that involved the Ampatuan clan, including former ARMM governor Zaldy Ampatuan.

It also initiated training for newly elected mayors and governors to guide them in handling matters in the local government units.

In connection with the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, Robredo alerted the Commission on Elections that over 4,000 multi-term barangay officials should have been disqualified from the race last Oct. 25.

Despite the obvious violation of the law on term limits by multi-term barangay officials, Robredo said the Comelec was being too technical about the issue, insisting that the multi-term barangay officials were not given due process.

The National Barangay Operations Office said Comelec proclaimed 12 winners, nine of them from Caloocan City, despite being multi-termers.

Robredo has been pushing for good governance and transformational leadership by empowering governors and mayors but at the same time, holding them accountable for their actions.

The DILG secretary also promoted programs that would enhance professionalism and eliminate allegations of irregularities in the department and all its attached agencies, including the PNP, BFP and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

Robredo started reviewing the bidding process in the procurement of fire trucks and firefighting equipment to improve the capability of firemen and prevent tragedies similar to the fire that struck a pension house in Tuguegarao City.

At the same time, he has been pushing for disaster-resilient local government units taking cognizance of the harsh effects of climate change and the increasing impact of natural and man-made disasters on the lives of the citizens.

In support of the government’s campaign against terrorism, Robredo initiated programs to ensure conflict-free and safe communities where the PNP and local government officials hold lectures on counterterrorism, self-defense and vigilance.