Sarmiento to take over DILG on Friday, Mar Roxas says

By TRISHA MACAS, GMA News

Published September 8, 2015 10:38pm

Secretary Mar Roxas will turn over the reins of the Department of Interior and Local Government to Western Samar Representative Mel Senen Sarmiento on Friday.

Roxas made the announcement hours after President Benigno Aquino III revealed in a news forum that he has chosen Sarmiento to replace Roxas, the party's standard-bearer in the 2016 elections.

Roxas is the secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Party.

"Inaasahan namin na Biyernes ng hapon ay magtu-turn over kami. Para sa Lunes ang kauna-unahang flag raising niya bilang secretary ng DILG," Roxas said.

He added that Sarmiento let go of his plans to run for a re-election in 2016 to serve as the new DILG head.

"He's well-qualified having been secretary general of city mayors league. May integridad, may karanasan, may kakayahan, at natutuwa ako na nakumbinsi siya ng Pangulo na tanggapin ang hamon na ito," Roxas said.

"

The DILG will be in good hands with Congressman Mel Sarmiento," he added.

Roxas resigned from the DILG after Aquino announced that he was endorsing the secretary to be the party standard-bearer in 2016.

Aquino, however, decided to keep Roxas at the department for several weeks before announcing his appointment of Sarmiento.

He said there were still pending matters that Roxas needed to attend to before leaving the DILG. -NB, GMA News

Tags: marroxas, senensarmiento, departmentofinteriorandlocalgovernment, 2016elections