MANILA, Philippines – Outgoing Secretary Benjamin Diokno on Wednesday, March 6, said that he hoped the next Department of Budget and Management (DBM) secretary is “not a politician.”

On his last day heading the DBM, Diokno was asked whether there’s a possibility that House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be next DBM chief. Arroyo is currently on her third and last term as a congresswoman.

He replied: “That’s speculative. I don’t want to comment on that.”

After a long pause, Diokno added that he hopes his successor is “not a politician or an ex-politician.”

On Monday, March 4, Diokno was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as the new Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor. He is set to be sworn in on Wednesday evening.

Diokno said that he will preside his first Monetary Board meeting as chairman and BSP governor on Thursday, March 7.

While the President has yet to appoint the next budget chief, Malacañang named Budget Undersecretary Janet Abuel as acting secretary of the DBM.

Diokno said that DBM under Abuel will still be continuing cash-based budgeting, the use of satellite data to monitor implementation of high-value government projects, and the “Green, Green, Green” project where city governments pitch to build parks and open spaces.  – Rappler.com