MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Armed Forces chief General Eduardo Año is the next Interior Secretary, President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Wednesday, May 10.

Duterte made the announcement in response to questions in a news briefing before he left for Cambodia to attend the World Economic Forum.

“You really want to know, who’s the next? May I call upon the Chief of Staff?…You are now facing the next DILG secretary,” the President said.

When asked, Duterte said Año will serve as AFP chief until he retires in October because he has to see through some programs at the AFP.

Former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr was widely believed to be the next DILG chief since he lost the vice presidency to Vice President Leni Robredo in the May 2016 elections.

A 1983 graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, Año is a veteran intelligence officer who was named military chief only last December 2016.

His appointment to the DILG would be a first for a retired military general in a department that deals with elected local officials and the civilian Philippine National Police. The PNP is headed by Año’s underclass at the academy, Ronald dela Rosa, who graduated from the PMA in 1986.

Año is also the second military general to be named to a department post this week. On Monday, May 8, the President appointed former armed forces chief Roy Cimatu as head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. – Rappler.com