PNP won’t be used by parties in polls, new DILG chief vows

President Benigno Aquino III leads the oathtaking of newly-promoted star rank officers of the PNP. KRISTINE SABILLO/INQUIRER.net

Newly appointed Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento dodged all questions on politics on Thursday, but gave his reassurance that the Philippine National Police would not be used by political parties in the 2016 elections.

The Liberal Party secretary general has filed a leave of absence from the ruling party “so I don’t want to comment anymore on partisan politics,” he said on the sidelines of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) budget briefing at the House of Representatives.

Reporters swarmed around Sarmiento, the outgoing Western Samar representative, and asked for his opinion on the presidential run of Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero in 2016.

“I hope you will understand, because the DILG supervises governors and mayors who come from different parties,” he said, declining to answer politically charged questions.

The DILG breezed through the presentation of its P124-billion budget proposal for 2016 after lawmakers led by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez moved to dispense with the question-and-answer portion.

Rodriguez said one way to celebrate Sarmiento’s Cabinet appointment was continuing the tradition of accepting the proposed budget at the committee level without question.

He described Sarmiento as “one of our most competent and outstanding congressmen.”

Before the House appropriations committee adjourned its meeting, Sarmiento was asked to say a few words.

“We have a very good working team here,” Sarmiento told his colleagues. “I’m going to miss the House but this is an opportunity to continue what was started by the late (Interior Secretary) Jesse Robredo.”

He told reporters he would be considered to have vacated his congressional seat after taking his oath of office.

Sarmiento said that as the new DILG chief, he should strive to serve beyond partisan politics.