(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte has dismissed Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno citing “loss of trust and confidence,” according to a statement from the Palace.
Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said that the announcement about Sueno’s dismissal was made “at the end of the 14th Cabinet meeting” on Monday, April 3.
“The President had earlier asked a few questions of Mr. Sueno but the summary dismissal served as a warning that Mr. Duterte would not countenance any questionable or legally untenable decisions by any member of the Cabinet,” Abella said in a statement.
“The Secretary had, in fact, been instrumental in convincing the President to run for election, but this did not deter the President from pursuing his drive for a trustworthy government by addressing issues like corruption,” he added.
Sueno was a former national chairman of PDP–Laban and served as Governor of South Cotabato under the late President Corazon Aquino.