Sueno dismissal won’t affect local DILG offices

President Rodrigo Duterte discusses matters with former Interior and Local Government secretary Ismael Sueno during a plant launching in Saranggani province. (INQUIRER)

THE dismissal of Interior and Local Government secretary Ismael Sueno won’t impact on the operations of the local offices of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

DILG Provincial Director Jerome Gonzales said their programs have already been planned out for the year and Sueno’s dismissal is not unusual considering that Cabinet officials serve at the President’s pleasure.

“It’s not unusual, we’ve been through this a lot of times. They are presidential appointees. Cabinet members stay at the pleasure of the President. We have several undersecretaries serving at different units,” he said.

Gonzales also said he always saw Sueno as being sincere in his job.

“Personally, I think he has integrity. I don’t really know him because he’s new but in my other dealings with him, he had always been okay,” he said.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he was saddened with Sueno’s dismissal since he has a good reputation.

He said he met Sueno a few years ago before he became DILG secretary.

“Sueno is a very simple man. I am sad to hear that. He was with (former Cebu governor) Lito Osmeña but I personally talked to him when there was this thing about my case,” he said.

Mayor Osmeña referred to a decision by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) that withdrew his authority over the police after he refused to give support to the Cebu City police.

Osmeña withdrew his support after Camp Crame replaced then city police chief Senior Supt. Benjamin Santos with Supt. Joel Doria.

Osmeña eventually regained control of the police late last year.

Osmeña said he hoped that President Duterte won’t decide to replace Sueno with former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.