Camille Naredo

Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary  Jonvic Remulla presents to the media, Russian Vlogger Vitaly Zdororvetskiy during a briefing at the Quezon City Reception House on April 7, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary  Jonvic Remulla presents to the media, Russian Vlogger Vitaly Zdororvetskiy during a briefing at the Quezon City Reception House on April 7, 2025. Zdororvetskiy was arrested last April 3 and tagged as an undesirable foreign national after allegedly harassing security guards and stealing an industrial fan from a restaurant in Taguig City on Monday morning, March 31. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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RUSSIAN VLOGGER VITALY ARREST

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176829015147920250407-dilg-jonvic-remulla-JC2486.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla presents to the media, Russian Vlogger Vitaly Zdororvetskiy during a briefing at the Quezon City Reception House on April 7, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File" width="960"/>Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary  Jonvic Remulla presents to the media, Russian Vlogger Vitaly Zdororvetskiy during a briefing at the Quezon City Reception House on April 7, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</div>MANILA -- The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday said that it is eyeing to mount an online portal where Filipinos can report &quot;epal&quot; politicians, or public officials who use government projects to promote their faces or names.The comment comes after the DILG was quizzed on how it intends to monitor public officials who may violate the &quot;anti-epal&quot; provision included in the 2026 national budget.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/28/patronage-politics-no-more-politicians-barred-from-cash-non-cash-assistance-2126">READ: Patronage politics no more? Politicians barred from cash, non-cash assistance</a></div>&quot;Mag-post lang naman sila, makikita kaagad namin iyan eh,&quot; Interior and Local Government Secretary  Jonvic Remulla said.&quot;Siguro pag-aaralan namin iyong buhayin iyong Isumbong sa Pangulo pero DILG level para doon nila puwedeng i-report talaga kung sino iyong nag-i-epal nang husto,&quot; he said. Under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, politicians are prohibited from exerting any influence or presence during the distribution of government cash aid, and they are also prohibited from putting their names and faces on any government project, the DILG chief said.&quot;Kapag may violation ang mga politicians, tinatawag namin ang mga mamamayan, i-post sa Facebook at puwede naming imbestigahan,&quot; he said.&quot;So, iyong anti-epal campaign, hindi ho sa amin nakasalalay iyan kung hindi sa mamamayan. I-report nila para magawan namin ng aksyon,&quot; he said.The DILG may impose administrative sanctions — such as suspension — against politicians who will violate rules against credit grabbing, Remulla said.&quot;Kung recidivist ang attitude ng local chief executive ay puwede namin ipasa sa Ombudsman ito for admin and criminal cases,&quot; he said.&quot;Depends on the appreciation of the Ombudsman kung recidivist na talaga kasi minsan iyan sasabihan mo na tapos tuloy pa rin sila, minsan sasabihin nila hindi sila pero the mere fact kung makita nila iyong mukha nila doon dapat it&#x27;s their obligation na tanggalin iyon eh kasi may Anti-Epal campaign na nga,&quot; he said.But Remulla clarified that complains against &quot;epal&quot; politicians may not warrant a sanction of removal from office.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/12/dswd-to-halt-cash-aid-payouts-should-politicians-gatecrash-distribution-sites-1544">READ: DSWD to halt cash aid payouts should politicians &#x27;gatecrash&#x27; distribution sites -- Gatchalian</a></div>&quot;Ang removal from office is basis of graft, most often than not graft or other severe forms of violations,&quot; he said. &quot;Pero iyong suspension, I think, is already a grave punishment para sa mga ganiyan.&quot;It may also be time for Congress to legislate policies against politicians who take advantage of government projects to promote their personal brands, the DILG Secretary said.&quot;Dapat gumawa na sila kasi sa ngayon iyong Anti-Epal campaign was only born out of the frustration ng mga tao in the last 15 years so wala pa tayong codified conduct para diyan sa Anti-Epal campaign,&quot; he said.&quot;It will be a great help if the national legislature made steps para talagang mabawal iyan.&quot;

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday said that it is eyeing to mount an online portal where Filipinos can report "epal" politicians, or public officials who use government projects to promote their faces or names.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday said that it is eyeing to mount an online portal where Filipinos can report "epal" politicians, or public officials who use government projects to promote their faces or names.

DILG eyes online portal where public can report 'epal' politicians

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DILG eyes online portal where public can report 'epal' politicians

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 13, 2026 03:50 PM PHT

Read More:

Jonvic Remulla

anti-epal provision

politics

DILG

Department of the Interior and Local Government

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