Former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mel Sarmiento is now the talk of the town.
This after the Queen of All Media, Kris Aquino, identified him as someone "special."
She did so by writing a sweet birthday message for him.
But who is Mel, really?
Mel headed the DILG between 2015 to 2016 under Kris' brother, the late former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
Prior, Mel was the Vice Mayor and later Mayor of Calbayog City until he became congressman of Western Samar.
During his term as Mayor between 2004 to 2011, Mel received the 4th Konrad Adenauer Medal of Excellence (KAME) along with Bohol Gov. Erico B. Aumentado, Mayor Dixon Q. Yasay, Municipality of Opol, Misamis Oriental, and Barangay Captain Carlos C. Rigor, Barangay Paco, Mankayan, Benguet.
The KAME is an award for the best managed local governments and is the only foreign award for such purpose recognized by the Philippine Government.
Anyway, Kris related that she and Mel are in the getting-to-know-each-other stage.
"He’s getting used to my quirks and we are adjusting to the fact we met as fully formed adults with a lifetime of experiences behind us so in many ways, mahaba na ang pasensya namin," she told a fan.