Senators on Friday defended Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno over allegations of irregularities by the House of Representatives in the proposed P3.757-trillion budget for 2019.
Sen. Sonny Angara said Diokno is a man of integrity. “Secretary Ben Diokno is known to be a man of integrity. And I won’t be surprised if that’s how people regard him, especially those who know him well as a University of the Philippines professor and have worked with him as Budget Secretary,” Angara said.
Angara added he could vouch for Diokno’s honesty and competence.
Sen. Loren Legarda, chairperson of the Senate Finance Committee which is tasked to defend and scrutinize the proposed national budget, also defended Diokno.
“Secretary Benjamin Diokno is a man of integrity and his competence is unquestionable. Even in his previous stints in government, he has been known for introducing reforms that would enhance transparency and improve the efficiency of government service,” Loren said.
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Friday the call by some House leaders to sack Diokno is too harsh and unfair.
The chairperson of the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Committee maintained that the accusation against Diokno is more speculative than it is substantiated by solid evidence.
Malacañang described the House call to sack Diokno as “unparliamentary behavior.”
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said this behavior has no place in the hallowed grounds of Congress. (Hannah L. Torregoza, Mario B. Casayuran, and Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)