FORMER Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Benhur Abalos has vehemently denied accusations by Cavite 4th District Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga that he and his nephew, 4Ps Party-list Rep. Jonathan Clement “JP” Abalos, are involved in flood-control anomalies.
In a social media post, Abalos stated, “Dear Congressman Kiko Barzaga, I wish to clarify that during my tenure as Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), I had no involvement in any flood control projects. Furthermore, my nephew, Congressman JC Abalos, was not involved in any such undertakings.”
Abalos then accused Barzaga of making “unfounded and malicious accusations” after the Cavite congressman failed to appear at an Ethics Committee hearing headed by Rep. Abalos.
The Ethics Committee panel discussed the possibility of Barzaga’s expulsion from Congress and prompted an inquiry into the Cavite representative’s alleged misconduct. Abalos advised Barzaga to address the issues being discussed in the committee instead of resorting to “baseless accusations” and expressed hope that Barzaga would be guided in his future actions.
