Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos appeared in a GMA Network drama show, not as an actor portraying a fictional character, but rather as himself. Abalos, who oversees the Philippine National Police and local governments, made a cameo appearance during the May 30 episode of “Black Rider,” produced by GMA’s Public Affairs. The start of Abalos’ close to three-minute sequence showed elements of his typical day as the interior chief: donning his usual polo barong, escorted by cops as he enters a building with the DILG seal.
In the episode, the interior chief meets with Raymart Santiago’s character, “Chief Ricarte,” to discuss an anti-illegal drug operation. Abalos even tasks Santiago’s character, who is a police officer, to organize a raid. “ Chief Ricarte, kailangan ko ang kooperasyon mo at ng buong kapulisan.
Kailangan nating lipulin ang problema ng droga, hindi lamang dito sa Maynila, kundi sa buong bansa ,” Abalos said. (Chief Ricarte, I need your cooperation, as well as of the entire police force. We need to address the drug problem, not only here in Manila, but in the entire country.
) “Black Rider” revolves around Ruru Madrid’s character, “Elias,” whose family had fallen victim to a syndicate. He called himself “Black Rider,” “a beacon of hope in a city plagued by corruption and lawlessness.” Abalos is no stranger to television because of his mandate as interior chief.
He also regularly holds p.
