Ismael "Mike" Dres Sueno (born July 1947 or 1948) is the former

Secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...

of the Philippine Department of the Interior and Local Government. He was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to replace

Mel Senen Sarmiento Mel Senen Sevilla Sarmiento (born August 11, 1962) is a Filipino politician. He was a member of the Philippine House of Representatives representing the 1st Legislative District of Samar from 2010 to 2015. He also served as Secretary-General o ...

starting June 30, 2016. A member and former national chairman of

PDP–Laban Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (), abbreviated as PDP–Laban, is a democratic socialist political party in the Philippines founded in 1982. It was part of the country's ruling party alliance from 1986 to 1992 under the administrat ...

, he served as Governor of South Cotabato under President Corazon Aquino. On April 4, 2017, Sueno was dismissed as Secretary of the Interior and Local Government by Duterte due to 'loss of trust and confidence'.

Early life and education

Sueno was born and raised in

Koronadal Koronadal, officially the City of Koronadal ( hil, Dakbanwa sang Koronadal; ceb, Dakbayan sa Koronadal; Maguindanao language, Maguindanaon: ''Kuta nu Koronadal'', Jawi Alphabet, Jawi: كوتا نو كورونادال; fil, Lungsod ng Koronadal) ...

, then known as Marbel, in the former undivided Province of Cotabato. His parents were Perfecto Sueno Sr., the first municipal vice mayor of Koronadal, and Ma. Neri Dres. He has five brothers (Rolando, Perfecto Jr., Roberto, Leo and Joseph), and one sister (Corazon), some of which have already migrated to the United States. He obtained his associate degree in Arts from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Seminary in Marbel in 1964. He then pursued his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the Regional Major Seminary.

Political career

Sueno was elected municipal mayor of Koronadal in 1980 during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos. In 1986, following the

People Power Revolution The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of c ...

, he was appointed by President Corazon Aquino as officer-in-charge (OIC) governor of the province of South Cotabato. He then served a full term as provincial governor from 1988 to 1992. During his term as governor, he pursued several environmental and reforestation programs integrated with livelihood projects. He imposed a total logging ban in the province and also helped organize and strengthen local cooperatives. In 1997, Sueno was appointed to the Southern Philippine Council for Peace and Development (SPCPD) Consultative Assembly by President

Fidel Ramos Fidel Valdez Ramos (, ; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military ...

. He was an unsuccessful candidate for vice president and running mate to Emilio Osmeña on the Probinsya Muna Development Initiative (

PROMDI The Progressive Movement for the Devolution of Initiatives or Probinsya Muna Development Initiative (; ), abbreviated as PROMDI or Abag-Promdi, is a political party in the Philippines based in Cebu. The party was founded in 1997 by Lito Osmeña ...

) ticket in the 1998 presidential election. Sueno ran for congressman of South Cotabato's 2nd District in 2001 but lost to Arthur Y. Pingoy, Jr. In 2007, he made another unsuccessful bid for Vice Governor of the province under the administration party. He was appointed Secretary of the Interior and Local Government by President Rodrigo Duterte on June 30, 2016. On April 4, 2017, he was reported by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre as having been fired from his office by the president due to corruption allegations.

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Sueno, Ismael Living people Secretaries of the Interior and Local Government of the Philippines Governors of South Cotabato Mayors of places in South Cotabato Candidates in the 1998 Philippine vice-presidential election PDP–Laban politicians Probinsya Muna Development Initiative politicians People from South Cotabato Ramos administration personnel Duterte administration cabinet members Year of birth uncertain Corazon Aquino administration personnel Political corruption in the Philippines Suspected criminals 1940s births