The House Committee on Appropriations has moved for the issuance of a subpoena against Department of Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno who snubbed for the fifth time the chamber’s invite for a public hearing Wednesday.
Panel chairman, Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., carried the motion to subpoena Diokno, which was made by Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso, during the resumption of the hearing on the multi-billion peso budget insertion controversy in which the DBM chief is a central figure.
“For the fifth time – I will not even bother to read his excuse letter – he has snubbed our hearing. I don’t know where he gets that very thick, facial facade,” an obviously irked Andaya said of Diokno.
“If there’s anything that President Duterte should be dismayed about, it’s the performance of his supposed poster boy for integrity. He should talk to him,” he added.
Diokno is being accused of allegedly inserting P75-billion worth of flood mitigation projects in the Bicol region under the Department of Public Works and Highways in the proposed 2019 national budget. He allegedly had a similar insertion worth P54 billion under the 2018 budget.
The Camarines Sur lawmaker – the most active in pursuing answers from Diokno regarding these issues – went as far to describe the latter as “alligator-skinned” for ignoring the House’s summons.
A subpoena is the strongest summon that the chamber can issue against a person. House Speaker Gloria M. Arroyo has yet to sign the subpoena against Diokno as of posting time. (Ellson Quismorio)