The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has withdrawn the show cause order it issued against Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso for the city's alleged failure to meet the Anti-Drug Abuse Council's standards in 2018.
DILG Sec. Eduardo Año, in a message to the Manila Bulletin Friday, August 6, said all the personnel behind the erroneous listing of Domagoso in the show cause order have been reprimanded for the "honest mistake."
"Honest mistake naman iyon kaya admonition lang sa nagkamaling employees with a stern warning not to commit the same (It was an honest mistake so the erring employees were admonished with a stern warning not to commit the same )," Año said.
In a separate GMA News report, the DILG chief explained that the show cause order should have been intended for former Mayor Joseph Estrada since the performance audit was done for the year 2018 while Domagoso assumed office only in 2019.
"The show cause order has been recalled and Mayor Isko does not have to answer it," Año said.
He did not identify the castigated DILG men for implicating Moreno in the failed drug campaign in Manila a year before he became the city mayor.
He also remained mum when pressed if any apologies were given to Domagoso for the fiasco.
Moreno, who won as Manila mayor in the 2019 polls, was issued a show cause order dated July 9, 2021 for the city government’s alleged failure to meet the standards and measures set by the National Abuse Drug Council Audit based on the assessment and verification in the 2018 Anti-Drug Abuse Council Performance Audit.
DILG Undersecretary for External and Legislative Affairs Ricojudge Janvier Echiverri issued the show cause order on Aug. 6, noting that the one issued to Moreno was an “inadvertent re-issuance.”
In the order, Echiverri wrongly asked Moreno to explain within 10 days why he should not be held administratively liable for failing to comply with the Joint Memorandum Circular 2018-01 or the Implementing Guidelines on the Functionality and Effectiveness of Local Anti-Drug Abuse Councils.