MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Friday that Senate has “too many things on its plate” to join the discussion on the alleged anomalies in the 2019 budget.

“We have too many things on our plate to join the issues being raised. We are done with interpellations on the general principles and that would have addressed then,” Sotto said in a message sent to reporters.

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Sotto’s statement came after the House of Representatives started its first hearing on Wednesday for the alleged “corruption” in the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget for 2019.

The investigation also stemmed from House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr.’s accusation against Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno.

Andaya claimed that Diokno orchestrated the “insertion” of some P75-billion infrastructure fund in the 2019 budget without the knowledge of the Department of Public Works and Highways, President Rodrigo Duterte and other congressmen.

READ: House panel begins probe on 2019 budget ‘anomalies’

Andaya also claimed that P10-billion infrastructure projects allocated by the Department of Budget and Management to Sorsogon last year were mostly “cornered” by Bulacan-based firm C.T. Leoncio Construction and eventually found their way to a construction firm owned by Diokno’s in-laws.

With this, Sotto also suggested that the “House panel should have raised this issue during the time the budget was with them.” /jpv

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