MANILA, Philippines –  Western Samar Representative Mel Senen Sarmiento  breezed through the Commission on Appointments on Tuesday, September 22, with no opposition to his confirmation as secretary of the powerful Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Hours earlier, Sarmiento spent only 15 minutes before the CA committee on interior and local government, regional consultative commissions, and regional autonomous governments, which recommended his confirmation to the CA.

The incoming DILG chief later explained it was “tradition” for the CA to extend this  courtesy – allowing members of Congress appointed to the Cabinet to breeze through the confirmation process. 

Speaking at the start of deliberations on his nomination before the CA committee, Sarmiento said he had “come full circle” – from leading the CA’s scrutiny on appointed officials as its vice chairman, to being on the other side of the hall, the subject of interrogation. 

“Kinabahan din ako, eto pala ang nararamdaman ng mga kasamahan sa public service na dumadaan sa CA (I got nervous too. So this is what our colleagues who go through the CA feel),” a beaming Sarmiento later told reporters. 

Once he takes his oath as DILG chief, Sarmiento will be deemed resigned from his congressional post. Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr is set to appoint a caretaker for Sarmiento’s district since there are only 9 months left before the end of the Western Samar representative’s second term. 

Prior to joining Congress, Sarmiento was vice mayor and later mayor of Calbayog City. While he was a local chief executive, he was also secretary-general of the League of Cities. 

President Benigno Aquino III and Sarmiento’s predecessor, administration standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II, had cited Sarmiento’s experience in local governance as among the  reasons why he was picked to head the DILG. 

IRA issues, LGU champion

The deliberations of the CA committee on interior and local government, regional consultative commissions, and regional autonomous governments were lighthearted throughout. Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr, committee chair, only asked 3 questions that zoomed in on LGU budgets. 

Marcos discussed the supposed “misinterpretation” of the budget department on LGUs’ Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) shares. “The tax base should not only be internal revenue but entire collection of government,” said Marcos, echoing the concerns of local chief executives. 

Sarmiento said his stand is “consistent” with a House bill he filed in the 15th Congress, which “will address the current issue with respect to IRA.” He said the bill stipulates that IRA should be funded through “all national taxes to include internal revenue.” 

Marcos also mentioned proposals to increase IRA share from 40%-60% “in favor of national government” to a 50-50 split. Marcos has been a vocal supporter of this shift in IRA shares. 

Sarmiento said that he has yet to discuss this with the president, whom Marcos said did not seem to favor this proposal. “We’ll hold you to your previous history because we know you’ve always been very supportive of all of these improvements in terms of the funding, not only in IRA share, of local governments,” Marcos told Sarmiento.  

Marcos asked about a bill that proposes to give benefits, sourced from and LGU’s IRA, to retired barangays officials who have served 3 terms. To this, Sarmiento responded, “I likewise signed [it]. I was the co-author of that particular measure.” 

“The chair is extremely happy to see that we have one that has committed to all of these measures before,” Marcos said.

Cagayan de Oro City Representative Rufus Rodriguez immediately seconded the CA committee’s approval of Sarmiento’s nomination – even before a motion was made before the committee in the first place. “Clearly, the answers of our nominee are correct,” he said. 

“I would like to congratulate this gentleman for introducing a new aspect in the proceedings. Ngayon lang ako nakarinig na nauna ang pag-second bago ang motion (This is my first time to hear someone second a motion before it is made),” Marcos told Rodriguez in jest.  

Rodriguez’s narration of Sarmiento’s achievements as a local chief executive, one senator would later quip, was longer than the question-and-answer. 

The choice of Sarmiento was not without opposision. The current administration’s political rivals were not in favor of Sarmiento, who is also the ruling Liberal Party (LP)’s secretary general. 

But in previous interviews, Sarmiento dismissed these qualms, pointing out that his appointment was based on merit and not political considerations. As DILG chief, Sarmiento has supervision over all LGUs, the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and the Bureau of Fire Protection. 

During the “ceremonial” turnover of the DILG from Roxas to Sarmiento, the latter said he would not be introducing new programs, but promised to strengthen his predecessor’s initiatives. Sarmiento will have roughly 9 months as DILG chief before the new administration takes over. – Rappler.com