Duterte wants Año as senior aide after retirement as AFP chief

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte shakes hands with Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eduardo Año as he is accorded with full military honors at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on May 10, 2017 where he delivered his speech prior to his departure for his official visits to Cambodia and China and working visit to Hong Kong. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

President Rodrigo Duterte will appoint Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gen. Eduardo Año as his senior aide after his mandatory retirement in October.

“I need his services. Año would be under me. I would make him a senior aide of the Office of the President or whatever,” Duterte told reporters in Malacañang on Monday night.

The President said he was also open to appoint Año as undersecretary “if that is legally feasible.”

Duterte earlier named Año as the next secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) after former secretary Ismael Sueno was sacked over corruption allegations.

Año is set to retire on October 26 and was set to assume the post as the next interior secretary last June but was delayed due to the Marawi crisis.

“But, Año cannot work as a Secretary because there is a prohibition that he cannot be appointed because he’s a military man but one year after,” Duterte said.

According to Republic Act 6975 or the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990, “no retired or resigned military officer or police official may be appointed as Secretary within one year from the date of his retirement or resignation.”

But the President said he was keen to appoint Año after the one year ban.

“Año has a mission, and I said to him to finish the Marawi job first and I want him in DILG,” he said. JE