Duterte formally appoints Año to DILG

Retired Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año is now appointed undersecretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). President Rodrigo Duterte signed Año’s appointment papers on Thursday, October 26, the same day he retired from military service after he reached the mandatory retirement age of 56. Malacañang released his appointment papers on Friday, October 27, 2017. (NOY MORCOSO/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO)

President Rodrigo Duterte has formally appointed retired Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año as undersecretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Duterte signed on Thursday, October 26, the appointment papers of Año, who retired from military service also on the same day after he reached the mandatory retirement age of 56.

Año’s appointment papers were released by Malacañang on Friday.

In his speech during the change of command ceremonies at Camp Aguinaldo on Thursday, Duterte said he was keen on appointing retired Año to be the next DILG chief.

But Año’s immediate appointment as secretary of the DILG is prohibited under Republic Act 6975 or the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990, which states that “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.”  /kga