Casiguran mayor denies family benefited from gov't budget allocation

Mayor Edwin Hamor of Casiguran, Sorsogon, has denied that his family benefited from billions of pesos worth of budget allocation from the national government as implied by several lawmakers.

"Nadamay lang ako dahil, sabi ko nga, naging balae ng asawa ko si [Budget Secretary Benjamin] Diokno... yun lang ho siguro," an emotional Hamor said in an interview with GMA News as shown on Unang Balita on Friday.

During Tuesday's 'Question Hour' at the House of Representatives, Minority Leader Danilo Suarez grilled Diokno on his relationship with the Hamors, a political family in Sorsogon.

Diokno's daughter, Charlotte Diokno-Sicat, is the wife of Romeo Sicat Jr., son of Sorsogon Vice Governor Ester Hamor who is now married to Mayor Hamor.

Ester is running for Sorsogon City mayor in the 2019 elections while Mayor Hamor is seeking reelection.

Diokno is accused of his using his position to influence the approval of P2.8 billion worth of infrastructure projects in Casiguran in 2018. The embattled Budget Secretary has denied this.

Hamor, during the interview, also denied links to CT Leoncio Construction and Trading, the firm that bagged government contracts in Sorsogon which will be the subject of a looming congressional inquiry.

"Ako wala akong relasyon [sa CT Leoncio]," he said. "Sigurado yung mga anak ko kakilala nila kasi, sabi ko nga, yung mga anak ko nasa construction din."

He was referring to Aremar Construction Corporation, which, according to GMA News Research, has two contracts with the DPWH this year, one  of them in partnership with CT Leoncio Construction and Trading.

Hamor also said he was surprised to learn that CT Leoncio was awarded big government contracts.

"Hindi ko naman call yan. Ang makakasagot niyan ay DPWH," he said. —KBK, GMA News