Suarez: Diokno has hand in ‘favored’ contractor’s transactions in Sorsogon

Government officials who have relatives seeking public office would most likely help their kin by granting projects in the areas they are running in, House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez said on Wednesday.

Suarez made the remark following his allegation that Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno could be involved in CT Leoncio Construction and Trading's bagging billions of pesos in contracts despite not being recognized as a corporation by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In a press conference, Suarez said that part and parcel of running for public office is to spend a huge amount of money, and a government official who holds power would naturally help their relatives to win elections.

"Kung ako yung isang may hawak na kapangyarihan at tatakbo ang in-laws ng aking anak, tutulungan ko na manalo," he said.

"Paano mananalo? Bibigyan ko ng mga projects 'yung kanilang lugar na tinatakbuhan. At para makasigurado ako, sasabihin ko sa kanila humanap na kayo ng trusted niyong contractor. That seems to be the vicious cycle of funding political affairs," he added.

On Tuesday, Suarez grilled Diokno during Question Hour at the House of Representatives if he knew about CT Leoncio Construction and Trading's supposedly being favored for projects in Sorsogon.

Diokno's daughter is married to the son of Sorsogon Vice Governor Ester Hamor, who is seeking the mayoralty post in Sorsogon City in the 2019 elections.

Suarez said that the use of the construction firm for projects in Sorsogon is questionable, considering that it is based in Bulacan, and is a sole proprietorship owned by Consolacion Leoncio.

"Kung ang kinuha niya siguro ay EEI, DM Consunji, yung malalaki niyang mga contractors, qualified. E kinuha mo 'yung nagtitinda ng taho sa Bulacan, e medyo magtataka na kami. Single proprietorship na may single office dito sa Avenida, Rizal," he said.

"Kung ang single proprietorship taga-Sorsogon, di bale. Pero taga-Bulacan e. Sino ang nagkumbinse sa kanya na pumunta at kumuha ka ng bilyon-bilyong projects?" he added.

For Suarez, Diokno should step down from his post as an act of delicadeza.

'I'm unbiased'

Diokno, denied Suarez's allegations.

"In the matters of that state I have no relatives, I have no friends... I'm very objective, unbiased. I don't talk business with anybody except the line departments," Diokno said in a forum in Manila.

"I cannot micromanage. We do not talk to contractors. We talk to department heads. That's our clientele, the departments," the Budget chief said.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya’s motion to issue a subpoena to Leoncio in connection with the chamber’s investigation into the effects of the cash-based budgeting system. — BM, GMA News