Whether it’s gaining ground on the war on drugs or ensuring disaster preparedness, curbing corruption or maintaining peace and order in every part of the country, Secretary Benhur Abalos spares no effort in finding effective solutions to problems that trouble the everyday Filipino.
By JOSE PAOLO S. DELA CRUZ
Photography by DIX PEREZ
Despite the heavy rains and gloomy skies that persisted, there was good news brewing on the day of PeopleAsia’s interview with Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos. Super typhoon “Mawar,” the world’s strongest tropical cyclone this year, seemed poised to shift away from the Philippines. And while there was a collective sigh of relief in the air, Secretary Abalos was still closely monitoring the situation — sending out text messages, making calls, giving out instructions.
“When it comes to disasters and calamities, you always have to prepare for the worst. You can never be too ready,” he tells us, saying that he started to think this way when he was part of local government.
Decades before he was appointed as DILG chief, Abalos has already had his ear to the ground, serving the people — especially his beloved constituents in Mandaluyong City — in various capacities such as city councilor, representative and mayor from 1995 to 2016. During that time, he also became president of the League of Cities of the Philippines, an organization comprising of all 122 city mayors of the country; and its mother organization, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), which is made up of more than a million elected and appointed local officials, ranging from governors, councilors, officials from multi-sectoral organizations and everything in between. He was also chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority from 2021 to 2022.
With a resume that reads like this, it’s no wonder that Abalos became President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s pick for the role of interior secretary, shortly after he won the 2022 polls. “The President’s marching orders were simple: Give the best to the LGUs, and make sure that organizations such as the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection and the rest would perform,” Abalos shares.
And like a good soldier, he went on to fulfill his mission.
The tie that binds
As the man in charge of ensuring that the national government’s policies and projects reach all 81 provinces, 33 highly urbanized areas, five independent component cities and one independent municipality, Abalos makes sure that nobody gets left behind in the country’s journey towards a better future.
“It’s up to us to capacitate the local government units and nourish the bonds between the national and the local. If there are complaints, we have to address them,” adds Abalos. To do this, the DILG conducts seminars and trainings, and also provides technological support and innovations that add to every LGUs capacity to not only serve their respective locales, but also to raise their concerns to national government.
The warm and inclusive hand that reaches out to the people can also be tough as steel where it needs to be. “We’re also very serious about maintaining a clean house, so to speak,” says Abalos, who recently launched a series of investigations with regard to some anomalies within The Philippine National Police, including the alleged cover-up of a P6.7-billion shabu haul from a police sergeant in 2022.
While such controversies often make the headlines, Abalos also reminds that the police force is still mostly comprised of modern-day heroes. “I would like to reiterate, 99.9 percent of our police are really heroes. These are just scalawags. They’re very, very few, and we plan to find out who they are and stop them from further tarnishing the police force’s reputation,” he vows.
On a brighter note, the government seems to be on the right track when it comes to addressing the peace and order situation in the country. Last April, PNP Chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. revealed to the media that crime in the Philippines continued to decrease this year, with the eight focus crimes — murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, theft, robbery, and carnapping of vehicles and motorcycles — registering a 14.69 percent decline from Jan. 1 to April 8.
A different “drug war”
Much like his predecessors, the drug problem continues to be a nemesis for Abalos and his office. In the first two weeks of 2023 alone, almost 2,000 individuals were arrested all over the country during anti- illegal drug operations.
“When you’re solving a problem, always think out of the box. Do not be confined to the four corners of the box. Get out of the box and look at it — what had happened before, what are the gaps and what should be done?” asks Abalos.
Having asked such questions, DILG came up with the BIDA Program (short for “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan” — an anti-illegal drugs campaign inspired by “Oplan Lingap” (Operation Care), a concept Abalos came up with when he was still a city mayor.
“The war on drugs is like a tree. We need to attack its roots — unemployment, lack of education, the family, the people’s mindset — in order to eradicate the demand for illegal drugs,” Abalos shares.
With BIDA, the national government and the DILG aim to nip the drug menace in the bud, but “within the framework of the law and with respect for human rights and with focus on rehabilitation and socio- economic development.” The program specifically aims to strengthen institutions in the implementation of drug reduction activities, encourage multi-sectoral participation, secure commitments from national government agencies and partner organizations, and raise awareness through information, education and communication materials.
To win this battle, the DILG employs new tactics that are less about firepower and more about knowledge and people empowerment. “At the end of the day, the drug problem boils down to lifestyle, especially in relation to a person’s adversity quotient, or the way he or she deals with problems,” he says.
Abalos cites a scientific experiment wherein laboratory mice were given a choice between clean water and water laced with methamphetamine. While the mice chose the drug-laced water in the beginning, things changed when they introduced exercise into the equation. After allowing the mice to run in mazes for some time, they started to choose clean water.
“They ignored the drugs. If it could happen to mice, it could happen to human beings. That’s what we are doing right now — promote a healthy lifestyle to have a healthy body and a healthy mind,” says Abalos, whose fit physique is indicative of his own health regimen. “I make sure to exercise even at least 30 minutes every day. I do push-ups first thing in the morning, even when I’m still sleepy.”
Fitness is but one of the many components that make the BIDA Program a reliable ally in combatting illegal drugs.
First off, the DILG utilizes a person’s relationships with members of the community, the church, the school and even his or her family — making them a potential and limitless source of reminders on how drugs can ruin lives. In doing so, a potential addict is reminded that he or she is not alone in his or her struggles, and that drugs are definitely not the answer.
“This drug war is different because it is the Filipino way. We are really close to our families. We love our elders and stay with them, sometimes even after we get married. As members of the community, some may say we gossip, but this being ‘tsismoso,’ in a way, is reflective of how we care for our neighbors,” Abalos explains. “That’s the spirit of bayanihan up to now. So we’re harnessing this faith, this culture and I know we’re going to win this war.
Secondly, group activities within the community also help drive the point home. For one, don’t be surprised if you see the DILG chief jogging with hundreds, if not thousands of BIDA advocates and beneficiaries, as a way of showing how they choose to lead healthy, drug-free lives. “At one point, I was running with 12,000 people! It was amazing,” Abalos shares with a smile.
Last but not the least, Abalos also vows to fully implement the law that requires government employees to undergo mandatory drug testing.
Up close & personal
Beyond his responsibilities as a public servant, Abalos is also a devout family man — whether as son to Philippine political stalwart Benjamin Abalos Sr. and his wife, the late Corazon de Castro, or as husband to Mandaluyong Mayor Carmelita “Menchie” Aguilar and their seven children.
Now a proud senior citizen, the 61-year-old also admits that his trademark hairstyle — the same mullet he has worn for the last 12 years — is a way for him to celebrate one of life’s small victories. “At my age, I’m lucky that I still have hair,” he says with laughter.
Sundays, according to him, are also very important. It is the only day that he gets to be with his dad. “My mom passed away due to COVID-19 in 2021, and every Sunday since, all of us, from my siblings and our partners, to the grandkids gather to spend some quality time together with my dad,” he says with a bittersweet smile. “Still, there are times when this doesn’t happen. Like now, I have not seen them for the last two or three weeks because I’ve had to work.”
Abalos also gets a bit sentimental when he remembers the hardships he has had to endure, not just as a politician, but as a father and a son. “My family’s been through a lot. I’ve lost my mom. I’ve lost my eldest daughter. My father has been incarcerated before, until he was acquitted. I’ve seen people climb up the political ladder so high and then fall down the next day. But even in all this, there’s a lesson,” he says.
And what exactly is it that he learned from such ordeals?
“In a matter of time, all of these things will just be a memory. Six years can be quite fast. But once you are given an opportunity, whether to serve your country, or to spend time with your family, you should value and cherish it, make sure that you make the most out of this,” he concludes.
And so, the DILG chief continues to give it his all — everytime, everywhere, for every Juan.
Art direction by DEXTER FRANCIS DE VERA
Styling by PATTY YAP
Grooming by KLENG TOTANES
Shot on location at CONRAD MANILA
