Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno was not bothered about rumors that he was on his "way out" of the Marcos administration, saying his reported replacement, who is currently a House lawmaker, is a friend.
On the sidelines of the Pilipinas Conference on Tuesday, Nov. 22, Diokno shrugged off reports that he will be replaced by Albay Representative Joey Selceda as chief of the Department of Finance (DOF).
“I don't know where this is coming from. Right? I'm old enough in this game to even bother about this. I just work nonstop unceasingly to do my job. And I always think of what's the greatest good for the greatest number. Para sa bayan (For the country),” Diokno told reporters.
Diokno, who was the governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas before joining President Marcos’ cabinet, even described Salceda as his friend.
“We have a group called ‘FFF’, or Friday, Friends, Forever,” the finance chief revealed.
When asked about his relationship with President Marcos, Diokno responded “very good.”
On Monday, Salceda clarified that he was not interested in the position of Diokno.
“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 did not say anything negative about Diokno. 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,” Salcedo 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.