"Do not covet thy neighbor’s job."
Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda gave this reaction to House reporters Monday, Nov. 21, regarding the rumors that he could be appointed by Malacañang as the next Department of Finance (DOF) secretary.
"Do not covet thy neighbor’s job. In past administrations, as in the present, I was able to move fiscal policy from my seat in Congress," said Salceda, who currently is the House Committee on Ways and Means chairman.
"From the fiscal reforms of 2003 to 2006, to the economic reforms during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, to the Duterte-era CTRP (Comprehensive Tax Reform Program), up to the present, I have worked with the Secretary of Finance (SOF), not as the ," he said.
Salceda--known for his flair for economics and his number-crunching ways--also didn't say anything negative about Ben Diokno, the current DOF Secretary. In fact, he described Diokno as his "good friend".
"Sec. Ben is a good friend and as long as he’s SOF I will work closely with him," the Bicolano said.
In the end, Salceda acknowledged that the President "ultimately makes the decisions on appointments".
"The Cabinet, after all, is his official family. He has an SOF already. Until he says otherwise, any talk of any appointment is pointless speculation," he said.