Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin “Benhur’’ Abalos Jr. was recognized as the leading Cabinet member of President Ferdinand “Bongbong’’ Marcos Jr. with the DILG being named as the most trusted government agency.
“Taos-puso akong nagpapasalamat sa inyong lahat (My heartfelt thanks to all of you (DILG personnel). Thank you for giving your heart to DILG,” Abalos lamented.
Abalos made the emotional announcement during the recent DILG Field Officers National Convention-Luzon Cluster held in Clark, Pampanga.
He mentioned that the DILG bagged the “unqualified opinion,’’ the highest grade of the Commission on Audit (COA), for two consecutive years under his leadership, because of the agency’s efficiency in the performance of their duties.
Abalos also cited the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) for being chosen as the “2024 Best Employer’’ with a grade of 9.22/10 in the survey conducted by a broadsheet newspaper and “Statista,’’ which is a business intelligence portal based in Germany.
Due to its perseverance, the COA provided a “special fund’’ for the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, which is the main key in the success of the “Hajj pilgrimage’’ of the Filipino muslims in Mecca.
With the DILG and the National Grid Corporation at the helm, Abalos stated that absence of electricity in the country’s 29 provinces for many years was resolved.
One of the landmark achievements of the DILG and the Philippine National Police (PNP) was the recruitment of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels to the police force for the first time.
With regard to the illegal drug campaign, Abalos pointed out that the Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan (BIDA) program was instrumental in the 700 percent rise in the confiscation of dangerous drugs in the Marcos administration compared to the previous administration.
Under the leadership of Abalos, the DILG stated that dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo was nabbed while fugitive Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy Jr. was arrested.