Diokno denies P40 billion bribery allegations

February 8, 2019

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno Friday denied an allegation by Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr that he tried congressmen P40 billion to remain silent about the insertions in the 2019 budget.

“Absolutely false. Another wild and baseless allegation,” Diokno told reporters in a text message.

The budget secretary skipped the House probe on the alleged insertion in the proposed P3.757T national budget for 2019.

Andaya, during the hearing, said Diokno tried to buy the cooperation of the House of Representatives by offering P40 billion to silence them about the P70 billion insertions.

“Now I have the 2019 budget in my hand. I do not see any 40 billion there. He told me ‘I will get it from savings of the 2018’,” Andaya said.

Andaya chairs the House Appropriations Committee which summoned the budget secretary.

In a letter addressed to House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Diokno invoked the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) officials and staff to a "proper notice and a fair and just hearing." 

Diokno explained that the subpoena for him to clarify supposed anomalies on the 2019 budget arrived  Thursday morning only. 

He also requested, in his letter to Arroyo, to be furnished with a list of questions to be raised during the inquiry.

“The questions we are going to ask him will be based on the documents he had submitted. So we can no longer ask him the questions but he has given us the courtesy of giving this data. Therefore, he has just waived his right on the 3-day rule,” Andaya said.

“So I’m sorry Secretary Diokno, I know you are listening. The advice to you is wrong again because you send this but you did not appear so you are still in contempt,” he said.

In a statement, Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo assured the Congress that officials from the Executive Branch will give their full cooperation and if necessary, will attend probes and inquiries in aid of its legislation.

“Congress, however, should accord the same courtesy to an executive official whom it invites as a resource person by observing its own rules such as by affording the invitee, as well as his or her staff, proper notice and sufficient time to prepare for a committee hearing on a particular issue,” Panelo said.

“This way, invited officials can adequately provide Congress the information which the latter desires to be knowledgeable of, thereby rendering the situation beneficial not just to both branches of the Government but more importantly to the people whom we ultimately serve as public servants,” he added.

Malacanang maintained their stand to let Diokno decide on what actions should he take on this issue.

“Secretary Benjamin Diokno has already manifested his position on the matter and his explanation for not attending the congressional hearing today is well-founded in fact and in law,” said Panelo.

“We thus respect the Budget Secretary’s decision and we are hopeful that knowledgeable men and women of Congress would similarly find the circumstances surrounding the said official's explanation justifiable as they perform their best in passing this year's budget,” he added. Ella Dionisio/DMS