MANILA – Sen. Grace Poe on Friday dared members of the House of Representatives to prove their allegations of wrongdoing against Budget secretary Benjamin Diokno.
In an interview, Poe agreed that there was a need to investigate the issue of the alleged favor for contractor CT Leoncio, a single proprietorship which House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr claimed had cornered multibillion-peso projects in the Bicol region.
But, the senator said, corruption allegations should be backed by evidence.
“Pag gumagawa ng akusasyon, dapat may pruweba,” Poe told reporters.
Earlier Malacañang said the President continues to trust Diokno. The Department of Budget and Management and Senate finance committee chair Loren Legarda meanwhile expressed support for the Budget chief.
In a separate statement, Sen. Sonny Angara said Diokno has given lawmakers “no reason” to doubt his competence and integrity.
“If the President decides that Secretary Diokno stays because he continues to enjoy his trust and confidence, so be it,” Angara said.
The House of Representatives on Wednesday adopted a resolution calling on President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider Diokno’s appointment as budget chief over a P75-billion insertion into the proposed 2019 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Diokno has maintained that there is nothing irregular with the budget augmentation. (ABS-CBN News)
