Diokno still enjoys Duterte’s trust and confidence — Palace

FILE: Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Benjamin Diokno (Photo: Department of Budget and Management)

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno continues to enjoy the trust and confidence of President Rodrigo Duterte despite issues that beset the proposed P 3.757 trillion national budget for next year, the Palace said on Thursday, December 13.

“The President continues to trust the Budget Secretary and the confidence reposed on him remain unimpaired,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.

Panelo issued this statement after the lower chamber adopted House Resolution (HR) 2365, urging the President to remove Diokno as Budget chief over the alleged “insertion” in the proposed national budget.

The lawmakers accused Diokno of inserting some P75 billion in the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for 2019 without DPWH Secretary Mark Villar’s knowledge.

“Such insertion, if proven, is illegal and ultra vires for it bypassed the authority of the President, through its line agencies, to submit its proposed budget for 2019” the resolution read.

However, citing Diokno’s “unblemished” record in the government service, Panelo said, “As one of the administration’s economic managers, PRRD considers him (Diokno) as one of the best and brightest in his official family.”

“Sec. Diokno’s reputation as an upright, competent, and honest public servant stays solid up to this day,” he added.

Panelo also reminded the Congress that their Constitutional duty is to scrutinize the budget and revise or amend proposals found in it and not to tell the Chief Executive on who should be appointed in a government position.

“Should it feel that there was [an] irregularity in the allocation of the budget, it can always correct it apart from having the option of recommending the filing of charges against those they dee, are responsible for the transgressions should the same amount to a crime,” the spokesman stressed.

“In the same manner that the President doesn’t tell Congress who it will choose as its officers and how to go about it, we wish that its members return the same courtesy,” he continued.

Diokno has since denied the allegation, stressing that there was an “augmentation” of P75 billion in the proposed 2019 national budget and not “insertion” as it was part of the budget “process.”