The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued a stern warning to mayors during the IATF press briefing on the crisis brought by COVID-19.
DILG Sec. Eduardo Aῆo cautioned that mayors and other local officials who are neglecting their duties and engaging in anomalies may face suspension or termination.
“That’s within the power of the President. If a mayor or even a governor abuses his authority or defy an order, we can immediately put him under preventive suspension for 60 days, even before the investigation is conducted or the President can also dismiss any local chief kung kinakailangan (when needed),” Aῆo said.
“Pero sa ngayon, nakikita naman natin lahat ng LGU ay sumusunod, nasosobrahan pa ng initiative kaya binabawasan natin (But for now, all LGUs are complying, their initiatives even go beyond what is required. That’s why we try to scale them down),” he added.
Meanwhile, IATF Spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles reported the content of the new resolution that includes additional funding for the assistance of those affected by the crisis.
“The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is hereby directed by the IATF to transfer Php 420,585,000 to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation. The said amount shall be utilized to cover COVID-10-related packages of the PHIC,” Nograles said.
The IATF said they are aware of the criticism faced by the government on the COVID-19 measures but Nograles and Aῆo trust that the virus can be controlled during the one-month ECQ in Luzon.
“What we would have achieved by April 12 is we would have been able to contain the virus, we would have been able to probably identify what communities are negative, so siguro (maybe) we want to see more communities na (that are) negative, na walang (without) COVID-19 cases,” Nograles said.
He added that if there are already communities with COVID-19 cases, they have been isolated from communities. – Report from Mela Lesmoras
