Duterte explains: Diño asked to leave SBMA post ‘in the name of public interest’

President Rodrigo Duterte.  (Photo from an RTVM video)

President Rodrigo Duterte has revealed that he had asked former Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Martin Diño to leave his post in order “stop the bickering” in the agency.

“Kasi there’s bickering, I have to explain, it was not really the fault of Diño neither of the administrator, but in the name of public interest,” Duterte said in an interview with PTV 4 aired on Thursday night.

He said he has offered Diño to be an undersecretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

“I offered him the undersecretary yun talaga sanay siya. Barangay captain, dito ka, yun lang. Wala namang issue diyan,” Duterte said. Earlier, Diño said he was offered the post of undersecretary for barangay affairs at the DILG.

The President has appointed lawyer Wilma Eisma, the current SBMA administrator, in place of Diño.

On September 25, Duterte issued Executive Order No. 42, declaring that the SBMA administrator will again be the “ex-officio chair of the SBMA board.”

“Kailangan ko i-fuse ko position niya (ng chairman) at post ng administrator…for the cohesive office, finuse ko pinagdikit ko nang isa,” Duterte explained.      /kga