MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Benjamin Diokno has not been 鈥渁llowed鈥� to attend the House of Representatives鈥� probe on alleged 鈥減ork insertions鈥� in the 2019 national budget.
Diokno himself disclosed this in an interview with ABS-CBN 黑料社 Channel鈥檚 morning show, Headstart, on Monday.
鈥淚鈥檓 not allowed to attend,鈥� he said without saying where the instruction came from.
鈥淏ecause what do they want from me? To say that I don鈥檛 know these people? Then I鈥檒l just issue an affidavit. I don鈥檛 know these people,鈥� he went on.
He was referring to two construction firm 鈥� the CT Leoncio Construction and Trading, and the Aremar Construction 鈥� tagged as the 鈥渇avored鈥� contractor of the DBM.
Asked if the administration is now reviving Executive Order No. 464 which prohibits a Cabinet member from attending congressional inquiries without the President鈥檚 permission, Diokno said: 鈥淭hey are actually studying the same EO.鈥�
鈥淎nd my understanding is we will not be allowed to (attend the congressional inquiries),鈥� he said.
EO 464 was issued by then President and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2005. She revoked her directive in 2008.
The House plans to summon Diokno in its hearing slated in Naga City on January 3 next year in connection with 鈥渇avored鈥� contractors and the P75 billon alleged 鈥渋nsertion鈥� he supposedly made in the 2019 budget.
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But Diokno had repeatedly denied the allegations. /je