The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) emphasized that established and accessible mechanisms are already in place to allow the public to report alleged “epal” practices, misuse of government programs, and other governance-related concerns involving local government units and DILG-attached agencies.

DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla said that the Department’s approach is centered on ensuring that citizens have clear avenues to raise concerns and that these concerns are properly addressed through existing systems.

“There are platforms in place where people can raise issues related to the use of government projects and public resources. What is important is that these concerns reach the proper offices and result in concrete action,” Remulla said.

Concerns involving integrity issues, abuse of authority, and violations linked to government programs are addressed through Bantay Korapsyon, the Department’s anti-corruption initiative under the Legal Cluster. The program serves as a framework for identifying and addressing corruption-related concerns, strengthening accountability, and encouraging citizen and stakeholder participation in monitoring local governance.

At the same time, the Public Assistance and Complaints Center (PACC), under the Communications Cluster, serves as the Department’s official frontline for receiving complaints, requests for assistance, and public inquiries. Through the PACC, concerns are formally recorded, reviewed, and endorsed to the appropriate offices for action, ensuring that issues raised by citizens are tracked and responded to.

“These platforms are designed to make government more accessible to the people. They ensure that complaints are not ignored and that accountability mechanisms are activated,” Remulla added.

The DILG calls on the public to make use of these existing channels and reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability, and the responsible use of public funds across all local government units, in line with the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to strengthen good governance and protect public trust.