THE leadership of the House of Representatives on Tuesday said that it will continue to exercise its oversight function regardless of whether or not Cabinet members attend its hearing on January 3.
In a statement, Majority Leader Rolando G. Andaya Jr. said there is a need for Congress to exercise its oversight function amid issues of “pork parking scheme” in the 2019 appropriation are raised by “whistleblowers” coming out of the Department of Budget and Management.
“Definitely, we will ask the DBM for these questionable allocations. We will not stop in our investigation, whether Cabinet members appear or not in our hearings,” Andaya said.
Earlier, Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno was reportedly not allowed to attend the House’s January inquiry on the proposed 2019 budget, after Diokno was grilled aggressively by Andaya at last week’s Question Hour.
According to Andaya, lawmakers would zero in on flood-mitigation projects, where the questionable allocations are parked.
“I think this [is] where they hide the ‘parked funds’ for those involved in the scam. That’s probably the reason DBM increased the funds for flood mitigation projects from 2017 to 2018. It saw an increase of P54 billion, but areas continue to be flooded,” Andaya said.
“These DBM insiders intimated to me that under the leadership of Secretary Diokno, billions of projects in Sorsogon for 2018 started to be bid out as early as November 2017. The bidding took place even as Congress was still deliberating on the 2018 budget submitted by the DBM,” Andaya said.
Andaya accused Diokno of allegedly using his influence to approve P10 billion worth of road and flood control projects in Casiguran and Sorsogon, where his daughter’s in-laws are officials.
Diokno was also blamed for the alleged P75 billion worth of “insertions” contained in the 2019 national budget, allegedly without the President’s consent. Diokno had stressed during the Question Hour that such was not an “insertion” but an “augmentation” made in the course of the Executive’s work to craft the budget.
Last Sunday, Andaya bared that a former Cabinet official now seeking an elective seat was responsible for “parking” at least P300 million in infrastructure projects in the proposed 2019 national budget.
The supposed “parking” of funds is the new scheme by some lawmakers to earn commissions from the annual appropriations.
Conditional appearance
Following the alleged “mocking” of Diokno at the Question Hour, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo confirmed on Tuesday that the DBM head and other Cabinet officials will no longer be allowed to attend hearings of the House of Representatives if they are treated with disrespect.
He said they were authorized to leave congressional proceedings if they are treated with “unparliamentary behavior.” “But as a courtesy we will always respond to an invitation [from the House of Representatives],” Panelo said.
Congress responsibility
Panelo reiterated that Malacañang respects the mandate of Congress to scrutinize the budget, but he reminded it should do so with the necessary “ethical refinements.”
“I don’t think it [rude questioning] will be repeated. Members of Congress are honorable enough to know if they go overboard or not,” Panelo said.
Furthermore, he said if lawmakers would still insist on the liability of Diokno, they should file the necessary charges against the DBM head. “Whatever allegation they have on corruption, I think it is about time they come up with evidence,” Panelo said.