Lacson: I cannot imagine the DBM secretary dealing with contractors

Senator Panfilo does not believe Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno dealt with contractors who bagged government contracts as accused by some leaders of the House of Representatives.

"I’m not defending Sec. Diokno. Pero sabi niya nga nakipag-deal siya sa mga agencies pag nag-appropriate at saka nag-release ng budget. I cannot imagine the DBM secretary dealing with contractors,” Lacson said in an interview with CNN Philippines Thursday.

He said it is the agencies that deal with contractors and in a worst case scenarios, the congressmen.

“Congressmen dealing with contractors, ‘yan ang masama. Alam natin pag nag-allocate ang congressman, bitbit ang contractor eh. Walang magawa ang agency. Pag sinabing akin ‘yan, ako naglagay riyan,” he said.

The senator said even party-list representatives who do not have specific constituents try to get ‘pork.’

“May mga party-list reps wala naman silang districts kasi at large sila. Siyempre saan sila mag-park ng pork? Sa mga districts. May incidents in the past I won’t name names anymore, ang party-list rep nakikipag-away sa district representative kasi inaako ng district representative sa district niya. Sa district ko, akin ito,” he said.

“Nag-aagawan sila ngayon kung sinong contractor mag-implement because sabi ng district representative sa district ko, akin ito. Hindi ako naglagay niyan, sabi ng party list representative,” he added.

House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez earlier linked Diokno to alleged favored contractor CT Leoncio Construction and Trading which bagged billions of pesos in contracts.

House Majority Floor Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. also said at least four infrastructure projects worth P550 million have been traced to the contractor.

He said 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.

Diokno has denied the 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. —LDF, GMA News