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'I NEVER RECEIVED MONEY FROM NAPOLES'

Bong Revilla testifies in PDAF case


Former Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. took the witness stand to personally defend himself for the first time in his plunder case on Thursday over his alleged role in the multi-billion-peso pork barrel scam.

Lead counsel Estelito Mendoza called Revilla to the witness stand during the proceedings at the Sandiganbayan First Division, where the former senator was asked whether he has any knowledge of the accusations hurled against him.

Revilla said he never understood the charges filed by prosecutors from the Office of the Ombudsman.

The prosecution had accused him of pocketing P224 million in public funds by channeling his PDAF to the fake foundations of alleged scheme mastermind Janet Lim Napoles.

"I never received money from Janet Lim Napoles at sa mga kasama niya coming from my PDAF or whatsoever. I may have met her, but I don't know her that well. Nakita ko lang siya sa mga parties... Nakita ko siya sa occassion ni Shalani Roman," Revilla said.

Revilla likewise denied that his former aide, lawyer Richard Cambe, received his alleged kickbacks on his behalf.

Revilla served as the last witness of his defense lawyers during their presentation of evidence. He can still be called to testify on the behest of the prosecution for their rebuttal.

Left up to DBM

During his cross examination, Deputy Special Prosecutor Manuel Soriano presented letters that Revilla supposedly submitted to former Budget and Management Secretary Rolando Andaya and then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

These letters, with annexes on the list of priority projects and corresponding implementing agencies, were used to facilitate the release of his PDAF.

Mendoza and fellow defense lawyer Reody Anthony Balisi opposed the line of questioning of Soriano, but division chairperson Associate Justice Efren Dela Cruz allowed the prosecutor to continue.

Soriano asked whether Revilla sought updates on any of his PDAF-funded projects. The former lawmaker said he relied on the implementing agencies for the utilization of his congressional allotment.

"'Pag request ko po sa DBM, pinapaubaya na po namin yun sa implementing agency," Revilla said.

Dela Cruz asked whether Revilla released his PDAF without properly monitoring them.

"Knowing that there's (Commission on Audit), and the implementing agencies, no need. 'Pag nandoon na sa implementing agency, wala na po akong pakialam dun," Revilla told Dela Cruz.

"Do you presume everything went well?" Associate Justice Edgardo Caldona said.

Revilla replied the COA should have flagged the projects at its onset if state auditors found any irregularities in its implementation.

"Yes, that's correct. Sana nung una pa lang may sinabi na ang COA," he said.

Impossible

Soriano disputed the testimony of Revilla in an interview with reporters. He said it was impossible for him to not monitor such a huge amount of public funds.

"Millions of pesos yun tapos ikaw ang pumili ng project na yun tapos pabayaan mo na lang na hindi mo i-mo-monitor? In fact, paano gagawin ng (implementing agency) 'yun kung 'di nga nila alam kung para saan yung project na yun? Sinabi lang 'financial assistance,'" Soriano said.

The letters addressed to Andaya and Arroyo, according to Soriano, also contained general descriptions.

"General yung description ng list of priority projects niya. So paano mai-implement ng implementing agency kung very general? Hindi sinabi sino yung mga intended beneficiaries, saan ang project site, magkano yung project cost," he said. —JST, GMA News

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