MANILA, Philippines — Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno and the incorporators of Aremar Construction Corporation will be invited as “resource persons” to appear in the House public hearing on the alleged “anomalies” in the 2019 budget, House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. said on Saturday. Diokno and the people behind Aremar Construction have begun talking to the media to address the issues raised during the House public hearing in Naga City, I deem it my duty to give them the proper forum,” Andaya said in a statement. The lawmaker also appealed to the incorporators of Aremar Construction Corp. to “stop hiding the truth by using technicalities and general ideas.”ADVERTISEMENTAmong the Aremar incorporators to be invited are Casiguran, Sorsogon Mayor Jose Edwin Hamor, the company’s president; Maria Minez Hamor, Martin Aber Sicat, Maria Charisma Sicat, Romeo “Jojo” Sicat Jr. and Edman Bautista. Andaya is also expecting Romeo Sicat’s wife, Charlotte Justin, who is Diokno’s daughter and Mayor Hamor’s wife, Ester Hamor. READ: House probe tackles ‘flood-control scam’ in BicolMeanwhile, Diokno said Andaya’s allegations were “illusory” as he also denied that the Department of Budget and Management allocated funds for flood control projects in the proposed national budget.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer January 05, 2019 05:37 UTC