Manila Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) can file all charges against him if they want to, but his focus will remain on addressing the COVID pandemic.
"They can do what they want to do. I'm busy attending to the COVID-19. They can file naman charges if they want to. Who will hinder them?" Domagos said in an interview with DZMM when asked if he plans to ask for an explanation from the DILG following the agency's issuance of a show cause order on the mayor's alleged failure to comply with Joint Memorandum Circular NO. 2018-01 or the Implementing Guidelines on the Functionality and Effectiveness of Local Anti-Drug Councils.
The show cause order was based on the 2018 performance audit.
Domagoso was not a Manila government official in 2018. He was appointed by President Duterte as the undersecretary for Luzon Affairs of the Social Welfare and Development from May to October 2018.
Domagoso was elected Manila City mayor only in May, 2019.
DILG Undersecretary Ricojudge Janvier Echiverri has withdrawn the show cause order issued on July 9 saying it was an "inadvertent re-issuance."
According to Echiverri, the show cause order first issued to Domagoso in 2019 was for failure in the Anti-Drug Abuse Council Audit for 2018, "which Audit was finalized and confirmed in the same year that incumbent Mayor Francisco Moreno has assumed office in the CIty of Mania."
"The 2018 Audit reflected the poor performance of the City Government of Manila under the previous City Mayor," the memorandum read.
Domagoso said his focus right now is on the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) from Aug. 6 to 20.
"Ngayon naman kasi ang iniintindi ko lang 'yung itong ECQ na tayo, ilang oras na iyong ano ang kakainin ng mga tao? Ano ang naghihintay sa tao? Ilang ulit paba mag E-ECQ? Para bang may patutunguhan ba talaga tayo? Ganito na lang ba tayo habang buhay? Habang nandiyan sila paulit ulit na lang (My focus is on the implementation of ECQ -- what will the people eat? What awaits the people? How many more times will we have ECQ? It's like, where are we really headed with this?)," he said.
"For the meantime, meron tayong obligasyon sa mga kababayan natin. So, yun muna ang inuuna ko, kung paano mairaos yung taong bayan sa Maynila (We have an obligation to the people and that's what I will do first, to help the people of Manila survive)," he added.