By Filane Mikee Cervantes/PNA
MANILA – The House of Representatives on Wednesday adopted a resolution urging President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider the appointment of Department of Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno.
The chamber adopted House Resolution 2365 after it conducted a question hour on Tuesday with the DBM chief, to seek clarification regarding the issues hounding the proposed 2019 national budget.
Minority Leader Danilo Suarez, author of the resolution, said several salient findings were brought out during the interpellation, including the alleged PHP75-billion insertion made by the DBM and the issue of a “favored” contractor who bagged billions of pesos in infrastructure projects under the proposed PHP3.757-trillion national budget for next year.
Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. said Public Works Secretary Mark Villar is unaware of the alleged insertion.
“During the question hour, the issue on the augmentation in the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways without the DPWH Secretary’s knowledge and consent remains unsolved… Such insertion, if proven, is illegal and ultra vires for it bypassed the authority of the President, through its line agencies, to submit its proposed budget for 2019,” Suarez said.
“Secretary Diokno was also not able to explain how one sole proprietorship construction company was able to obtain numerous projects from the government in Sorsogon, amounting to billions of pesos,” he added.
Suarez said these issues cast doubts on Diokno’s integrity as DBM Secretary and the use of his position in accommodating and merging family with public interests.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the executive branch will still investigate the allegations, and committed that there will be no sacred cows.
“Secretary Diokno has already denied any involvement or any link. But let me repeat what we have said repeatedly: This President is no respecter of friendship, of alliances, of party affiliations, of friendship. His principle is you follow the law; you violate it — you will account for it. You engage in corruption, then you will be fired,” Panelo said.
Panelo, however, said Diokno still enjoys the trust and confidence of the President.
“Oh, definitely. Mr. Diokno is known to be the Mr. No. Meaning, he is a man of integrity. So, when he says he’s not involved, I believe him. Unless you show me, as a lawyer, competent evidence to the contrary; the presumption he is a man of competence and integrity,” Panelo said.
