House to continue questioning Diokno over alleged insertions in 2019 nat’l budget

On Friday, Andaya made a fresh allegation against Diokno, saying that the Cabinet official has tried to “bribe” lawmakers for them to keep their mouth shut about the alleged insertions in the 2019 budget. (File Photo: Department of Budget and Management)

Even after the Congress ratified on Friday night the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed P3.757-trillion 2019 national budget, the House of Representatives won’t let Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Benjamin Diokno off the hook.

“If the good Secretary thinks he can now relax and continue with his illicit activities, he is gravely mistaken. Hindi pa tapos ang pag-iimbistiga namin sa mga anomalyang kinasasangkutan niya (We are not yet done investigating the anomalies he is involved in),” House Appropriations Committee chair Rolando Andaya, Jr. said on Saturday, February 9.

Andaya has accused Diokno of inserting some P75-billion in the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for this year, and that the latter was involved in the alleged anomalous transactions of Bulacan-based CT Leoncio Construction and Trading in Sorsogon.

The Budget Chief, however, denied the lawmaker’s accusations against him.

Andaya said the House Committees on Appropriations and Public Accounts will conduct joint public hearings on the supposed irregularities in the DBM.

“Congress will continue exercising its oversight function to ensure that public funds allocated to government programs and projects are spent in accordance with the law and the existing rules,” the lawmaker stressed.

He added that the lower chamber will issue a subpoena for DBM and DPWH’s top officials in the next few weeks.

On Friday, Andaya made a fresh allegation against Diokno, saying that the Cabinet official has tried to “bribe” lawmakers for them to keep their mouth shut about the alleged insertions in the 2019 budget. He said they were offered P40-billion, which Diokno told the lawmaker, will come from the savings in the 2018 budget.

“That is the reason why I’m asking for documents on the 2018 savings because that piqued my curiosity,” he said.

Addressing Diokno, Andaya said, “If you can offer to buy us out, to bribe us for our silence, and as to the amount, I’m only saying half the truth — there’s a bigger amount involved.”

Diokno, however, denied Andaya’s “wild and baseless” accusations, saying that he would not “bother” to submit the 2017 and 2018 savings for the House’s review if he indeed wanted to silence the lawmakers.

The Budget Chief did not show up during the hearing on Friday despite being issued a subpoena.

In explaining his reason, Diokno cited Section 8 (3) of the Rules of Procedure Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation of the House of the Representatives, which states that “subpoena shall be served to a witness at least three days before a scheduled hearing in order to give the witness every opportunity to prepare for the hearing and to employ counsel, should the witness desire.”