Duterte orders Diokno to skip House hearings on budget

PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte has instructed Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno not to appear at the upcoming congressional hearing on the alleged “insertions” in the proposed 2019 budget, Malacañang said. “He was not allowed…. There’s only one who cannot let him go there, it’s the President.,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said in a press briefing on Tuesday. “The basis would be the rude treatment that he (Mr. Diokno)…received” during the Question Hour last Dec. 11, Mr. Panelo explained. “And another reason is that, if you will be submitting questions to the resource person and you’ll not be asking them, so what’s the use of going there? But as courtesy, we will always respond to any invitations. All we ask is, please give us the courtesy as we give the same to you,” he added. As to whether the Palace can invoke executive privilege for Mr. Diokno’s non-appearance at the hearing, he said: “If it concerns privileged communication, we will be invoking that. If it is not, it would be the apprehension that he will be treated rudely there. But I guess… I think the parties have learned their lesson. I don’t think it will be repeated again.” — Arjay L. Balinbin