Ex-APEC Representative Edgar Valdez (UNTV News)
Former APEC Party-list Rep. Edgar Valdez denied the authenticity of some of the documents presented by prosecutors in his plunder case involving him to the PDAF scam.
According to his counsel, Atty. Joel Ferrer, they discovered that three special allotment release orders or SAROs of Valdez were realigned without his knowledge.
It was also dubious that the implementing agencies were changed from the original project proposal chosen by Valdez.
Based on the earlier testimony of Department of Budget and Management Director Carmencita Delantar, in order to change the intended implementing agency of a project, the lawmaker needs to submit a letter duly endorsed by House committee on appropriations and the House Speaker.
According to Atty. Ferrer, Valdez did not request for any realignment, and the documents presented by the prosecution are not authentic.
“The letter did not come from Cong. Valdez. It came from someone else. Our point there was, it was forged; it was falsified.”
Valdez also requested from the prosecution the original copy of the letter, but they have not yet produced a copy for the defense.
“The burden is for them to come up with the original. And since our position is forged, the document is falsified, then we can have it submitted for examination, preferably an expert from the NBI,” Atty. Ferrer said.
Valdez added that the realignment in the SAROs is not in accordance with the General Appropriations Act.
Former Congressman Valdez earlier expressed his confidence that the court will soon grant him bail as he believes evidence proving his alleged involvement in the PDAF scam is not strong. (JOYCE BALANCIO/UNTV News)