frffii*ts Insight I
Diokno dates Andaya:
Name names
' BY JOCELYT{ MONTEiIAYOR
BUDGET Secretary Benjamin
Diokno yesterday dared House
Apptopdations Committee chair-
man Rolando Andaya to name
government official or of6clals
who allegedly teceived kickbacks
or "advanced commissions" for
contracts or projects supposed
to be funded by an alleged P75
billion potk barrel in the 2019
budget.
DIOKNO
in giving cash advances.
"Under our watch, advance
paymenrs of commissions are
considered illegal. Such pactices
are not, and will not be condoned
by the Duterte adminisratior. If
Aadaya kaows of such ptactices,
and he clearly does, as he has been
defending conftactots, thefl he
should name these personalities as
they shouJd be invesdgated. Thar
graft," Diokno said.
is
Diokno also said rhe Deoarr-
meflt of Budget ard M-^q.i.rent
@Btr4; is focused on crafting and
overseeing rhe budget ptocess
and not rn any way involved in the
sc_reening, nodding and awarding
ot contracts as well as implemena_
tion of projecs.
"It seems Andava has apoointed
himself spokesperson ii rhes.
contractols who have alreadv been
giveo commissions. Le, r!^irrd
the congressman that giving com-
-.
missions is very clearly grait. It is
his duty to oame the fugh proEle
govelnment official he mentioned
vrho advanced his own funds to a
conrlacto.r because of expected
commissions-" he said
Government Procurement
Policy Boatd-Technical Service
Of6ce (GPPB-TSO) Executive
Director Atty. Rorvena Candice
Ruiz urged Andaya to coordinate
llrurs rhursdav, February
Diokno denied that some con-
tractofs have made "cash ad-
vances" fot inftastructure projects
covered by the alleged P75 billion
fund included in the budget of the
Deparmrent of Public lforks aod
Highways pPWlf , adding that
asking fot advanced payrnents or
kickbacks is illegal.
He expressed belief tlat repu-
table contractors will not engage
see Dtorc.Jo ) Page
w.ith the Office
man, if
of the Ombuds-
he klows anything or
aayone engaged io the illegal ac-
tiviry so that investigations vou.ld
be conducted in connectioo with
his allegations.
Andaya claimed that some ..fa-
vored" contractors, including arr a.l-
leged relative of Diokno. hajmade
cash advances after being awarded
some inftastructure projects under
a P75 billion pork barrel fund that
had initially been inserted in the
2019 budget of the DpWH.
The Senate and the House
Represenutives. in approving the
2019 budget, had removeJ rhe
P75 billion but Andaya claimed
that Diokno and Cabinet Secretarv
Karlo Nograles are working ai
restoflng lt.
Andaya said the contractofs.
who made advances of 10 petceni
to 20petcent of dre ploqrarn cosr.
had been demanding tolave their
money back after the removal of
the P75 billion pork fund.
Diokno said there had been
eatly procurement program ac-
tivities done before the budget
year was inuoduced but the orac,
tice do nor involve collectiJn of
kickbacks or asking for advance
Payments.
He said the conduct eadyof
Plocurement activities before the
statt of the Budget year had been
adopted by government since
t4,2ors
83
2009, or when Andaya was still
budget secreraty, to ensure the
efFcien-t and dmely implementa-
hon ot proiects, as well meet
global srandards in govetnment
efFciency.
Undet the early procurement
activities, the contract is not oet_
fecred until the General Appro-
pnauons Act (GAA) is passed.
Diokno said the coniucr prac-
tice of eady procurement is zuided
by existing cLculars and pr6cure-
ment laws.
of Diokno also said the 2019 bud-
get is expected to be siEned inro
law by March this year.
Diokno said Congress ..ptom-
ised" to send the enrolled coov
of the ratified PJ.75?-tri iii
budger for
2019 to Malacar,arLs
for President Duterre's signarur;
on March 1-
"By March we will pass it
... We
will have a new budger by the end
of the 6rst quartet,', he said.
Diokno said thdt ftom the
receiprof the enrolled copv. the
Departmenr of Budge, ut a M"r,-
agement (DBN{) has four to seven
days to review the proposed mea-
sure and make the necessatv rec-
o-mmendations to the president,
lt any.
He said Duterre has 30 davs to
act on the budget bill. Coniress
ratified the 2019 General Appro-
pnauons Acr Iast Februarv 8.
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