President Duterte is confident that Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año would perform well as the next Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary.
Año is set to assume his Cabinet post upon his retirement from the service this October.
The DILG has supervision over the PNP, which has been rocked by scalawags allegedly involved in illegal drugs and other abuses.
“Gen. Año is retiring. August siya eh, ay October, October. He will be leaving you. But kukunin ko si Año sa DILG so sa pulis rin iyon. Namumroblema ako diyan,” he said.
Año will join the growing list of retired military and police officials with key positions in the Duterte administration. Among the recent appointees are retired military general Eduardo del Rosario as new head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and retired AFP chief Roy Cimatu as Environment and Natural Resources Secretary.
The President defended his decision to pick former military officials to government posts, saying they get the job done fast.
Duterte dispelled speculations that he and former Presidents now Pampanga Rep. Gloria M. Arroyo and Benigno S. Aquino III were appointing military officials because they were afraid of possible coup attempts.
“Takot ba daw kami sa military? Hindi kami takot sa military. Bilib kami sa military pati pulis kasi mautusan mo magtrabaho,” he said. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)
