Palace backs Diokno despite Andaya tantrum

As a boiling Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya vowed to “bring everybody down” following the discovery of congressional insertions in the national budget, Malacañang is cool to Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno’s non-appearance in the House Appropriations Committee hearing if he decides to do so.

The Palace is leaving it up to Diokno whether to attend the hearing called by the House Appropriations Committee, which had issued a show cause order against him.

“For now, we will let him decide for himself,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

“That’s the job of Congress, unless there is an abuse of the exercise that is given to them by the Constitution, we will not oppose,” he added.

Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso sought the show cause order and was backed by Andaya, who has been hot on the trail of Diokno’s alleged handling of the national budget.

Andaya accused Diokno of favoring alleged relatives in cornering choice projects in Andaya’s district.

House Majority Leader and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. (PTV Photo) Diokno denied Andaya’s allegation.

Their squabble, however, could be traced to the discovery of budget insertions in the General Appropriations Bill made to favor the top leaders of the House of Representatives, including Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Andaya himself.

But Andaya deflected the insertion issue against Diokno, whom he tagged as the brains behind the P75-billion budget, which rode the allocation for the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The Budget chief has not returned to attend the House hearings after being grilled during his first appearance last December.

Panelo said the show cause order may have been issued “prematurely” as Diokno had “valid reasons” for his no-show in past committee hearings.

“He (Diokno) had a valid excuse. He sent a letter beforehand. If he had previous engagements, that is a valid excuse. If he was sick, that’s a valid excuse,” the spokesman stated.

A livid Andaya, however, warned to “bring everybody down” if Congress will be forced to approve the proposed P3.575-trillion budget for 2019 in a haste.

The solon clarified that they are not stalling the passage of the national budget as he slammed Diokno’s absence during the panel investigations on the alleged anomalies in the crafting of the measure.

“We in the House are not stalling the budget approval. They just want us to pass the budget (into law) without thinking because we are only in session until 6 February,” he said.

“That would be wrong, to force our hand. The bicameral panel discussion in the coming days will be the hardest and most intense they will witness,” he added.

“They are doing this in haste, so that the insertions will still be there,” stressed Andaya. “I know where the places are. I was forced to do it, dared to do it.”

“I will bring this house down. If they will pass the budget without thinking, I’ll bring everybody down. You know it. I know it,” he reiterated.