MANILA – Cavite governor Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla Jr. has been appointed as new secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Remulla, who replaced resigned Benhur Abalos, formally took his oath before President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. at Malacañang Palace on Tuesday morning.
According to Jonvic, he accepted the DILG Secretary role after being asked by his brother, Department of Justice secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, and President Marcos.
“The President has asked my brother and me to serve in the most sensitive positions in the government,” Jonvic was quoted as saying in a meeting with Cavite local officials on Monday.
“It’s a position of trust and responsibility — a lot of that I learned from my 30 years in the local government here,” he added. “I don’t know what will happen in 2028 — I hope to be back or I might not come back but we’ll see.”
Jonvic was eligible for re-election as Cavite governor but has opted to withdraw his certificate of candidacy to prepare for his new position.
Abalos stepped down as DILG secretary on Monday to run for a Senate seat in the 2025 elections under the administration’s Alyansa ng Bagong Pilipinas Senate slate.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Communication Office has announced the resignation of Atty. Karlo Nograles as Civil Service Commission chairperson.
Nograles left the post as he filed his certificate of candidacy as Davao City mayor, where he will go up against his former boss, former President Rodrigo Duterte./PN
