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DBM's Lao withdraws application in Ombudsman to avoid 'senseless' speculations


Budget Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao on Monday said he has already withdrawn his application for the Overall Deputy Ombudsman position.

"Ang personal kong ambisyon kailanman ay hindi po mangingibabaw sa interest ng bayan at ng pamahalaan. Para manatili ang integridad ng JBC (Judicial and Bar Council) at para mapalayo ang Ombudsman sa mga walang kwentang haka-haka, minabuti ko pong i-withdraw ang aking application," Lao said in a statement sent through text to GMA News Online.

"Mataas po ang tingin ko sa mga nakaupo sa JBC. Panatag ang loob ko na pipili sila ng mga taong matino na ilalagay sa posisyon," he added.

Lao's office said the JBC acknowledged his withdrawal of application at 9:51 a.m. on Monday. He was supposed to appear in the public interview of candidates for the position on October 28.

Earlier, opposition senator Leila De Lima said that Lao's application for the second highest rank in the anti-graft body reeks of collusion to cover up corruption of the Duterte administration as she claimed that Lao was a former aide of now Senator Christopher "Bong" Go.

"Nakakabahala po ang pahayag ni Senator De Lima tungkol sa pag-file ko ng application bilang Overall Deputy Ombudsman. Hindi po lahat ng tao corrupt. Ang alam ko ang mga kurakot na kawani ng gobyerno, appointed man o elected, ay nakukulong at nabubulok sa bilangguan," Lao said.

He, nonetheless, admitted that he supports the administration.

"Totoo po na kaalyado po ako ng PRESIDENTE dahil naniniwala ako sa kanyang kakayahan at pamamalakad," he said.

Meanwhile, Go refuted De Lima's claim that Lao was under his wing during his tenure as special assistant to the President.

"Malay ko diyan at wala naman akong kinalaman sa application niya. Si Usec. Lloyd Lao ay naging parte ng PMS (Presidential Management Staff) at HLURB (Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board) bago naging undersecretary ng DBM. He did not serve directly under my office," Go said in a separate statement.

"Malaya naman ang bawat tao na mag-apply sa mga posisyon na available sa gobyerno kung gusto nilang magsilbi sa kapwa nilang mga Pilipino. Tulad ng kahit anong job application, mayroong prosesong sinusunod diyan ayon sa batas," he added.

Go said the public should trust the screening and selection process of the JBC as he vowed that the administration's campaign against corruption will continue.—AOL, GMA News

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