The Commission on Appointments of the 17th Congress confirmed Benjamin Diokno as Department of Budget and Management secretary on Wednesday.
The CA committee on budget and management headed by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri recommended to the CA’s plenary the appointment of Diokno who served as assistant minister of the late President Corazon Aquino and budget secretary of former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.
“Happy to have you on board in this administration. I was hoping this would be the fastest commission on appointments meeting for confirmation. But with that said we now act on this motion,” Zubiri said.
Diokno is the first member of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Cabinet to be confirmed.
Zubiri cited the appointee’s impressive academic record, extensive service in the academe and government and expertise in fiscal policy.
“I value his bold vision to end underspending on public goods and services, boost public infrastructure spending, and attain fiscal responsibility and transparency,” the senator said.
Zubiri noted that this is the third administration that Diokno will serve, which shows that this is an appointment based on merit, and one that transcends politics and personal affiliations.
San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora, Estrada’s former executive secretary, first moved for Diokno’s confirmation.
“It is a position he fulfilled extremely well. It’s a great satisfaction to see him again in the same position. I am certain he will do even better this time around in the administration of President Duterte,” Zamora said.
He said members of the CA House contingent are satisfied with Diokno’s answers to their questions in a previous meeting.
“We have met with the secretary for consultations in the House contingent, everyone expressed satisfaction with the many answers to their questions,” Zamora said.
Senate finance committee chairwoman Loren Legarda seconded Zamora’s motion. She also commended Diokno for being a “hardworking and competent government officer.”
Since Diokno had been a Budget chief, Legarda said, it would be futile to ask any more questions.
“We are supportive of his appointment, since we must review the budget in the next 60 days. Secretary Diokno is highly accomplished, very competent, extremely hardworking, comes to work before 7 a.m. or even 6, has unquestionable integrity… so all our questions are to naught,” she said.
“I have no objection. I just want to be present when we confirm the gentleman from Batangas,” said Minority Leader Ralph Recto, who is also a Batangeño.
“Mr. President, I am endorsing the nomination of Dr. Ben Diokno as Budget secretary. It is inconceivable for a Recto of Lipa not to support a Diokno of Taal. But I am not nominating him because he comes from the best province. I do so because he’s good for the country,” Recto said.
He said Diokno had what it takes, and has all the guts to perform what I think is one of the hardest jobs in the Cabinet. Recto said the DBM is the Kilometer Zero for all government projects. It is the starting line.
“No project can proceed without being flagged off by the agency. But that great role also attracts the greatest pressure. And all presidents have expected their DBM men to perform budget miracles, like in a recent case when funds must be found in a jiffy so that the base pay of the uniformed personnel, and soon teachers, will be doubled,” he also said.
Recto also mentioned that in the DAO cases, the Supreme Court heard Diokno, and heeded his views. He said the DBM chief was not only an academic, but also an activist.
He said Diokno had lectured generations of economists in his 42 years of teaching in UP Diliman.