DBM exec tells Sandigan she hasn’t met Napoles

Janet Lim-Napoles. BOY SANTOS/POOL

MANILA, Philippines — An official from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said she has not met businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.

Napoles is the alleged mastermind in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or the pork barrel fund scam.

Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Alex Quiroz asked Director IV Carmencita Delantar of the DBM’s unit that processes the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) if “in your official capacity as director, have you encountered one way or another Janet Lim-Napoles?”

Delantar said, “No.”

In her testimony, Delantar said her office validated the projects and areas where the lawmakers’ PDAF would go but not whether the beneficiaries were real people or not.

Delantar said there were at least nine SAROs for Enrile but no amount was mentioned in her testimony.

Delantar is a prosecution witness against Napoles’ bid to post bail.
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