Ex-COA auditor: Enrile office said it received items procured by NGOs using PDAF

Former Commission on Audit (COA) assistant commissioner Susan Garcia on Thursday testified before the anti-graft court that the office of then-senator Juan Ponce Enrile submitted confirmation documents stating that it received items purchased by the non-government organizations (NGOs) it endorsed for government projects funded by Enrile’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or discretionary fund.

Garcia, who was the director of COA’s Special Audit Office—which conducted audit on lawmakers’ PDAF covering the years 2007 to 2009—gave the testimony at the trial over the 15 counts of graft filed against Enrile, his former chief-of-staff and lawyer Jessica “Gigi” Reyes, deputy chief of staff Jose Antonio Evangelista, alleged NGO head and businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles and others, in connection with Enrile’s PDAF supposedly funding agriculture and livelihood projects that never reached intended beneficiaries.

“[Attached to my judicial affidavit] is the acceptance report and the special reports signed by Mr. Evangelista manifesting that he received all the items reportedly purchased by the NGOs [their office endorsed],” prosecution witness Garcia responded during the cross-examination conducted by Enrile’s counsel, Erwin Matib, who asked Garcia if there are documents attached to her judicial affidavit or direct testimony which would show that Enrile’s office accepted money in connection with such PDAF transactions involving NGOs and other implementing agencies.

Garcia also confirmed that Evangelista sent COA a letter dated August 2, 2012 stating that their office received items procured by the NGOs which served as project partners of government programs.

Matib emphasized to Garcia that he was referring to money supposedly received by Enrile’s office then.

To which Garcia responded, “No money, [just] the items reportedly procured.”

Matib tried to get a categorical answer from Garcia on whether Enrile’s office received such money off PDAF transactions involving NGOs and other implementing agencies and Garcia was lengthily explaining that what was received were items, not money, before Associate Justice Bernelito Fernandez interrupted them to clarify the point.

“The answer here is no. No money, but there were items received,” Fernandez said.

Likewise, Garcia disagreed with Matib’s argument that an endorsement of Enrile’s office of an NGO as stated in the Special Audit Report is synonymous to a recommendation.

“No, sir,” Garcia said.

Asked if the implementing agency can decide not to follow such a recommendation, Garcia was firm.

“No, sir. No, sir. In this case, no,” Garcia added.

Accused Reyes' counsel Christian Diaz, for his part, presented an August 29, 2013 letter sent by Evangelista to the COA stating that the signatures of Reyes in seven letters of endorsement for two NGOs linked by the prosecution to Napoles were forged. 

The August 29, 2013 letter was sent to COA a year after Evangelista sent COA a letter which did not mention Reyes' signatures being forged.

Garcia confirmed that COA received the said August 29, 2013 letter, but clarified that it did not carry weight on their report since it was issued after the Special Audit report on PDAF was released.

“It was received [by COA] after the report was released,” Garcia said.

Diaz then asked Garcia if the Special Audit report would change if the August 29, 2013 of Evangelista was considered by the COA.

Garcia responded no. — BM, GMA Integrated News