Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. Screengrab from his Facebook video
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Friday apologized to Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno for its “erroneous” order to explain the city’s failing mark in its anti-drug war efforts in 2018, which was prior to his term as Manila’s chief executive.
The DILG through Undersecretary for External and Legislative Affairs Ricojudge Javier Echiverri, earlier issued a show-cause order against Moreno for allegedly failing to comply with the policy and programs under the city’s Anti-Drug Abuse Council in 2018.
At the time, Moreno was still serving as an undersecretary of another government agency. He started being mayor of Manila in 2019.
The DILG has already withdrawn the show-cause order, saying it was an honest mistake as it was an “inadvertent reissuance.”
“Since the office of Undersecretary Echiverri already admitted the mistake, so on behalf of Usec. Echiverri, we would like to extend our apologies to mayor Isko Moreno for the erroneous show-cause order that was issued by Usec. Echiverri’s office,” DILG spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said in a televised public briefing.
‘No hint or tint of politics’
Malaya assured that there is no “hint or tint” of political motivation behind issuing the show-cause order, adding that the interior department is “fair, unbiased, and transparent.”
“Since mistake po ito, wala tayong kailangan dito i-ascribe na any political motivation. I can assure the public and I can assure Manila Mayor Isko Moreno na wala itong hint or tint of political motivation,” he added.
(Since this is a mistake, we don’t need to ascribe any political motivation to this. I can assure the public and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno that this has no hint or tint of political motivation.)
Malaya said Isko Moreno no longer needs to respond to the show-cause order as this was already withdrawn.
Moreno on Thursday lashed at the DILG after the DILG suddenly came out with its show-cause order, alluding that the move may have been politically motivated.
“Wow galing ha! Sunod sunod na! #AlamNaThis,” Domagoso quipped in a brief statement.