Bishop Favors Abolition of DILG

MANILA, Jan.6, 2010—A Catholic bishop favors the call to abolish the Department of Local and Interior Government (DILG) from the bureaucracy.

Tagbilaran Bishop Leonardo Medroso said the suggestion of UP Professor Clarita Carlos, also a political analyst, is good since the DILG is only a “duplication” of other government agencies.

“The DILG is no longer needed. It’s bringing confusion to the mayors… our local chief executives,” Medroso said over Catholic Church-run Radio Veritas.

Because of the agency currently headed by Secretary Jesse Robredo, the church official said, the local governments cannot decide on their own contrary to what is stated in the law.

“… Where in fact, it is built in our democratic system that our mayors have flow of power according to the Constitution,” he said.

The prelate added DILG no business acting like an overlord of the local government units (LGUs) and dictating on them what they should do because they have long become autonomous entities.

“The DILG is just duplication. Anyway, there other agencies that can monitor the actions of the mayors,” he said. (CBCPNews)