Ano to serve as DILG undersecretary first: Duterte

October 26, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday he would appoint newly retired Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Ano as undersecretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government before making him one of his Cabinet officials after a year.

Ano reached the compulsory retirement age of 56 Thursday. The new AFP chief of staff is Lt. Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero.

"Ano, he retired but he would be an undersecretary as yet, because there is a prohibition by law that he cannot assume the office for one year," Duterte said in a speech in Manila.

"So in the meantime, from being the chief of staff, he will just be occupying an undersecretary (position). Well, eventually he will be the secretary of Interior and Local Government," he said.

Ano will replace Ismael Sueno who was fired by Duterte due to alleged corruption. The current officer-in-charge of the Interior and Local Government is Catalino Cuy. Celerina Monte/DMS