NEWLY-APPOINTED Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno will get the nod of the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) because of his "integrity, competence, and expertise," Malacañang said on Tuesday, March 5.

Speaking to Palace reporters, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the Palace is confident that CA would approve Diokno's ad interim appointment as the new central bank chief.

"Well, that's their (CA members) call. We have a good man (Diokno) there. We have an experienced man. We have an expert man, a man of integrity," Panelo said.

Diokno now assumes the BSP governor post after serving as Budget secretary since Duterte assumed office in 2016.

Diokno was named new head of the BSP by Duterte on Monday, March 4, following the death of his predecessor, the late central bank chief Nestor Espenilla Jr., who died on February 23 after a year-long battle with tongue cancer.

His new stint at the BSP was announced amid investigation on alleged anomalies in the DBM during his watch and his supposed role in the "insertions" in the proposed 2019 budget.

Diokno's ad interim appointment as head of BSP is subject to CA confirmation.

Panelo was optimistic that Diokno would get the CA's approval since the allegations hurled against the former Budget chief were "not true."

"Integrity, competence, expertise... I already said the qualifications under which the President based his appointment. The banking industry lauded the appointment of Secretary Ben Diokno," he said.

"The allegations are not true. I don't think anybody believed [those allegations]," he added. (SunStar Philippines)