At least P500M infrastructure projects had links to Diokno's in-laws —Andaya

At least four infrastructure projects worth P550 million have been traced to have links to the in-laws of Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, House Majority Floor Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. said on Saturday.

"We have identified at least four joint ventures between Aremar and CT Leoncio in Sorsogon. These projects include the P49-million highway improvement for Aruman-Casiguran Road; P96-million construction of Barcelona-Casiguran diversion road; P115-million tourism road leading to Bulusan National Park; and the P289-million Daang Maharlika Section in the 1st District of Sorsogon. These projects alone cost the taxpayers a total of P550 million," Andaya said in a statement sent to reporters.

Although the House rules committee has yet to start its formal investigation into the P10-billion peso 2018 budget allocated by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to Sorsogon, Andaya said evidence they have uncovered show that there are links between Diokno's in-laws and the beneficiaries of the infrastructure projects.

According to Andaya, Jojo Sicat, the son of Casiguran, Sorsogon Mayor Edwin Hamor, is married to Diokno's daughter. Mayor Edwin's wife Ester is Sorsogon vice governor. 

Maria Minez Hamor, daughter of Mayor Edwin, owns Aremar Construction Corp. which entered into the above-mentioned four joint ventures with CT Leoncio Construction and Trading, said to be a "favored contractor", according to documents obtained by the House panel, Andaya said.

Andaya previously said CT Leoncio Construction and Trading bagged 30 infrastructure projects in various districts under the 2018 national budget, a national budget which also allocated P123 billion for flood control projects or a P50 billion increase from 2017 level.

"Nag-uumpisa pa lamang ang  aming imbestigasyon. Ito pa lamang ang mga paunang datos na nakukuha namin. But this early, it is clear that at least P550 million infrastructure projects in Sorsogon found their way to the in-laws of Secretary Diokno. Hindi pa po kasama dito ang iba pang  projects na nakuha din ng Aremar Construction sa Sorsogon," Andaya said.

"Just because it was approved by Congress does not erase the fact that it was Sec. Diokno who approved the allocations for Sorsogon and included them in the NEP [National Expenditure Program]. The DBM Secretary has the final say on what projects will be submitted to Congress. Implementing agencies can only recommend to him. That is why each year it is the DBM secretary who personally submits it to Congress," he added.

"After trying to hide his scheme with congressional imprimatur, he now goes against the very people he has duped all along," Andaya said.

"Secretary Diokno must not drag President Duterte into this mess. The President has already spoken. He has no hand in the identification of infrastructure projects inserted by the DBM in the national budget. The identification of projects and disbursement of budget allocations is the work of his Cabinet. We in Congress believe that the President is not, in any way, involved in this process," the lawmaker said.

A total of P6 billion has been allotted for Sorsogon in the proposed budget for 2019.

House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez said on Wednesday Diokno should step down from his post as an act of delicadeza. Suarez alleged that 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.

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," he said. —KG, GMA News