HOUSE URGES DUTERTE TO DISMISS BUDGET CHIEF
The House of Representatives on Wednesday called on President Duterte to fire Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno for orchestrating the insertion of P75 billion in infrastructure funding in the proposed P3.8-trillion national budget for 2019.
Before adjourning for the Christmas break, the 292-member chamber approved House Resolution No. 2365 that urged Mr. Duterte to let go of Diokno.
Minority Leader Danilo Suarez filed the resolution a day after Diokno faced the plenary during Question Hour to explain the supposed budget insertions earlier exposed by Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
Diokno was also grilled about the alleged billions of pesos in unspent
fund impounded by the Duterte administration.
“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 budgets for 2019,” a portion of the resolution read.
Suarez resolution
“The House ... urges (the President) to reconsider the appointment of ... Diokno as secretary of the Department of Budget and Management,” it added.
According to Suarez’s resolution, the budget secretary also failed to justify the award to CT Leoncio Construction and Trading billions of pesos worth of infrastructure projects in Sorsogon, where the parents of Diokno’s son-in-law are elective officials.
“There are doubts as to the secretary’s integrity and use of his position in accommodating and merging family with public interests,” it said.
Malacañang is standing by Diokno.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said on Wednesday that Malacañang believed in Diokno’s competence and integrity.
“Mr. Diokno is known to be ‘Mr. No,’ meaning—he is a man of integrity. So when he says ‘he’s not involved,’ I believe him,” Panelo said at a news briefing.
“Unless you show me as a lawyer competent evidence to the contrary; the presumption is he is a man of competence and integrity,” he added.
Question Hour
Panelo said Diokno had already explained during Question Hour the allegation that he was behind the insertion of P75 billion in the proposed budget for 2019 without the consent of President Duterte.
“Secretary Diokno has denied any involvement in the allegation made by Congressman Andaya,” Panelo said, referring to House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya’s claim that the budget secretary had inserted P75 million in infrastructure projects in the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Show evidence
Panelo also said it was up to the accuser to give evidence to his allegation that Diokno was behind the approval in 2018 of billions worth of infrastructure projects for Sorsogon.
“One who alleges must prove—that’s elementary in law,” Panelo said of Suarez, who mentioned during Question Hour that Diokno’s daughter was married to the son of Sorsogon Vice Gov. Ester Hamor.
The vice governor is now married to Casiguran Mayor Edwin Hamor.