Legarda denies giving funds to Napoles, says anyone can drop names nowadays

MANILA, Philippines– Senator Loren Legarda strongly denied giving funds to Janet Lim-Napoles, saying she only gives her priority development assistance fund (PDAF) to local governments and accredited government agencies.

Senator Loren Legarda

“In my entire political career, I only give PDAF to local government and accredited government agencies. I have never endorsed PDAF to any NGO (non-government agency),” Legarda told INQUIRER.net in a text message on Wednesday.

Legarda though admitted knowing a certain “Ms. Santos” but said she was not her staff and was never authorized to handle any PDAF.

“I know a Ms. Santos who has been in government but she is not my staff and is never authorized to handle any PDAF,” she said.

A witness in the P10-billion “pork barrel” scam, Merlina Sunas, testified at the Makati Regional Court and claimed that a certain “Maya Santos,” an alleged conduit of Legarda and Senator Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos Jr., would regularly go to their office to submit the requirements for the projects of the two senators.

Legarda said, “Anyone can drop a person’s name nowadays.”

“My reputation is precious to me. I worked hard for it,” she lamented.

Marcos, meanwhile, has yet to issue a comment on the matter.