Home 
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Officials of the Department of Interior and Local Government in Central Visayas (DILG-7) said Tuesday they have no involvement in the upcoming Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines (VMLP) elections on April 17 and 18, apart from supervising the election process.
Danilo Almendras, legal and operations chief of DILG-7, said that in any election involving public officials, a DILG official heads the board of election supervisors that monitors the election.
But until the board is created just a few days before the election date, DILG has no connection with the VMLP.
Almendras denied reports that the agency was supporting the candidacy of Antipolo Vice Mayor Danilo Leyble, who is seeking the presidency of the league, as alleged by Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama, who is also interested in the position.
He also said the Cebu provincial government’s allegations that the DILG-7 was supporting a candidate through a campaign veiled as a survey was untrue.
“I should know... As chief of operations, I have not given instructions to conduct a survey,” Almendras said.
Lilibeth Famacion, assistant regional director of DILG-7, said she did not know of any interventions a member of her office may have made in the VMLP.
She also said she has not received orders from Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno or DILG-7 Director Pedro Noval concerning the VMLP. /Correspondent Chris A. Ligan
