Diokno a no-show at House budget probe anew 

BUDGET Secretary Benjamin Diokno backpedalled on his decision to attend the hearing of the House of Representatives’  Committee on Appropriations today, Friday, on the supposedly anomalous budget allocations.

In a message, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) confirmed that Diokno would not be at the hearing despite a subpoena issued against him by the appropriations panel.

“Budget Secretary Ben Diokno sought a reset of the hearing scheduled Friday morning…,” the DBM said in a statement.

The agency cited Diokno’s letter to Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, wherein he assured Congress of his cooperation but also invoked the right of Budget department officials and staff to proper notice and a fair and just hearing.

He pointed out that the subpoena ad testificandum signed by Arroyo and Appropriations Committee Chairman Rolando Andaya Jr. was received by the DBM at 11 a. m. on Thursday morning with the hearing scheduled the next day, Friday at 10 a. m.

While Diokno welcomed the subpoena to clarify “issues regarding the 2019 budget, clearly there was no proper notice and not enough time to allow him and other DBM officials and staff to adequately prepare for the HoR (House of Representatives) hearing.”