Lawmakers have chided Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno for allegedly peddling “fake news” that Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and other key House leaders requested for Road Board projects.
Andaya, who chairs the House committee on rules, said Diokno should directly answer the alleged anomalous P75-billion insertions that the budget chief made in the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget for 2019 and that supposedly benefitted his in-laws in Sorsogon.
“The fake news being peddled must stop. No request nor projects for the district of either Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo or Majority Leader Rolando G. Andaya Jr.,” read a document from the Road Board released to House reporters by Andaya’s office.
The document likewise contained the list of Road Board-approved and ready-for-release allocations per engineering/legislative district.
“I don’t talk to him [Diokno]. I do not need to make a follow up because I did not ask for anything from him,” Andaya said.
The Andaya panel will begin its inquiry on the alleged budget controversies and questionable allocations by Diokno on Jan. 3.
Diokno claimed that Andaya and other lawmakers, including House Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, have been pressuring him to release the Road Board funds.
“He [Diokno] is he releasing officer of the road users’ tax. He is a member of the board. And if he himself seeks the abolition of the board, it can only mean he cannot perform his job. It is that simple,” Andaya said.
In the document, Suarez has no approved projects among the allocations that are ready for release.
Based on the list, among the 37 House lawmakers who allegedly requested projects for the Road Board were House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta party-list Reps. Jericho Nograles and Mark Aeron Sambar, Kabayan party-list Rep. Ron Salo, ANAC/IP party-list Rep. Jose Panganiban, Isabela Rep. Napoleon Dy, Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, Jr., MATA party-list Rep. Tricia Nicole Velasco-Catera, Batangas Rep. Ma. Theresa Collantes, Cavite Rep. Strike Revilla, Cavite Rep. Abraham Tolentino, and Camarines Sur Rep. Salvio Fortuno, among others.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Senator Juan Edgardo Angara were also listed as among those who requested funds from the Road Board for their infrastructure projects.
The List:
1. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon
2. Senator Sonny Angara
3. Taguig City-Pateros Rep. Arnel Cerafica
4. Kabayan party-list Rep. Ron Salo
5. Pangasinan 6th District Rep. Marlyn Primcias-Agabas
6. LPGMA party-list Rep. Arnel Ty
7. ANAC-IP party-list Rep. Jose Panganiban
8. Isabela 3rd District Rep. Napoleon Dy
9. Isabela 4th District Rep. Ma. Lourdes Aggabao
10. Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Luisa Lloren Cuaresma
11. Aurora Rep. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo
12. CIBAC party-list Rep. Sherwin Tugna
13. Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales
14. MATA party-list Rep. Tricia Velasco-Catera
15. Batangas 3rd District Rep. Ma. Theresa Collantes
16. Cavite 2nd District Rep. Strike Revilla
17. Cavite 7th District Rep. Abraham Tolentino
18. Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy
19. AGBIAG party-list Rep. Michelle Antonio
20. Antipolo City 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop
21. 1-PACMAN party-list Rep. Michael Romero
22. Camarines Sur 5th District Rep. Salvio Fortuno
23. Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento
24. Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado
25. Zamboanga Del Sur 2nd District Rep. Aurora Cerilles
26. Zamboanga Sibugay Rep. Ann Hofer
27. Cagayan De Oro City 2nd District Rep. Maximo Rodriguez
28. AASENSO party-list Rep. Teodoro Montoro
29. COOP NATCCO party-list Rep. Sabiniano Canama
30. Akbayan party-list Rep. Tom Villarin
31. North Cotabato 2nd District Rep. Nancy Catamco
32. North Cotabato 3rd District Rep. Jose Tejada
33. Surigao Del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers
34. Surigao Del Norte 1st District Rep. Francisco Jose Matugas
35. Surigao Del Sur 1st District Rep. Prospero Pichay
36. Surigao Del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel
37. Kalinga Rep. Allen Jesse Mangaoang
38. Nueva Ecija 2nd District Rep. Micaela Violago
39. Iligan City Rep. Frederick Siao