MANILA, Philippines — Undersecretary Eduardo Año has vowed to address corruption in government, illegal drugs and terrorism as the new officer-in-charge of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Año, former chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, assumed his new post on Friday.

He plans to improve the capabilities of government organizations under the DILG including  the Philippine National Police (PNP), which is mainly tasked with law enforcement operations and public safety.

“We will fight corruption, drugs and terrorism,” Año said in a message on Viber over the weekend.

Duterte appointed Año as head of the DILG on Thursday, replacing Catalino Cuy who was named chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board.

Año thanked President Duterte for his new appointment.

“I express my gratitude to the President for the trust and confidence bestowed upon me. It is my strong desire to implement changes in order to realize the President’s programs in improving the life of every Filipino,” he said.

He asked coworkers at the DILG to perform their tasks with honesty and diligence to improve the quality of the department’s services.

“I also ask the public for your support and understanding while team DILG is embarking on addressing the current challenges and while working on improvements,” he added.