DILG wants next admin to continue 5 of its accomplishments

DILG Usec. Jonathan Malaya. File photo from DILG

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) wants the next administration to continue five of the agency’s accomplishments.

DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya on Wednesday said that these are the campaign against criminality, the campaign against illegal drugs, strengthening of the Emergency 911 Hotline operations, modernization of police and fire protection and jail personnel, and dialogue on constitutional reform.

Malaya noted that the total crime volume decreased under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte through these initiatives.

“Una po, iyong ating laban sa kriminalidad. Iyong ating kampanya laban sa kriminalidad dahil nga po bumaba po ang ating total crime volume kahit po iyong index crimes by almost 50 percent since naupo ang Pangulong Duterte noong 2016,” he said in a Laging Handa public briefing.

(First, our fight against criminality. Our campaign against criminality because the total crime volume decreased, even the index crimes by almost 50 percent since President Duterte entered in 2016.)

Malaya also boasted of the government’s illegal drug campaign that seized billions worth of illegal drugs and over 20,000 barangays were declared drug-free.

“So, sana po ay ipagpatuloy din ito ng susunod na administrasyon hangga’t lahat ng barangay sa ating bansa ay maideklara nang drug-free,” he hoped.

(So, I hope that this will be continued by the next administration until all barangays in the country are declared drug-free.)

The undersecretary then noted that 99.4 percent of calls were answered by the Emergency 911 Hotline — 319,000 calls were received and acted upon.

Malaya likewise promoted the additional vehicles provided for police and personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

He also recommended the continuation of constitutional reform dialogue by starting on basic reforms in the Constitution.

“Sana po ay maipagpatuloy ito ng susunod na administrasyon by starting on basic reforms in the Constitution. For example po, iyong economic amendments, iyong tinatawag na economic amendments para po tuluyan nang mabuksan ang ating ekonomiya para makapasok iyong mga mamumuhunang dayuhan na kailangang-kailangan po natin para makapag-recover tayo completely dito sa pandemya,” he elaborated.

(I hope the next administration will continue this by starting on basic reforms in the Constitution. For example, economic amendments to fully open the economy to allow foreign investors whom we need to recover completely from the pandemic.)

“At pangalawa, under a constitutional reform ay iyong amyenda sa ating Saligang Batas para sa Bangsamoro Autonomous Region on Muslim Mindanao dahil alam naman po natin na iyong peace agreement between the government and the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) cannot be fully implemented if the Constitution is not fully amended,” he further said.

(Second, under a constitutional reform, the amendment of the Constitution for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao because we know the peace agreement between the government and the MILF cannot be fully implemented if the Constitution is not fully amended.)

President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. named his campaign manager and former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos as his DILG secretary.

JPV