New challenge for Año

The man in charge of retaking Marawi from Maute terror- ists was appointed yesterday as the new secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government. As DILG chief, Eduardo Año will have supervision over the Philippine National Police.

Año’s appointment was announced as he retired yesterday from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, but it takes effect after one year. As AFP chief, he was given the challenging task of retaking Marawi from Islamic State-inspired gunmen who used civilians as shields and holed out in mosques as they engaged government forces. The urban warfare took five months, but the AFP, assisted by the PNP’s elite Special Action Force, managed to neutralize the top terrorist commanders together with over a thousand militants and liberate the city.

With that victory, much is expected of Año when he takes charge of the department that supervises the PNP. Unlike the AFP, the PNP has seen its public image deteriorate amid gross abuses in waging the war on illegal drugs. Año will face the challenging task of restoring public trust in the PNP, especially if it rejoins the anti-drug campaign. Can Año liberate the PNP?

The DILG chief also has supervision over local governments, including barangay units. President Duterte has said thousands of barangay captains and personnel have been linked to the illegal drug trade. A number of barangays, together with municipal, city and provincial governments, are also notorious for red tape, graft and inefficiency. Many have yet to comply with the President’s order to keep the waiting time for public documents and other government services to no more than three days.

Año will also have supervision over the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, whose facilities are overwhelmed by inmates apprehended in the campaign against drugs and criminality. With full support from the President, the new DILG chief should be able to make a dent in these problems.