This refers to a misleading article entitled “2 SAROs show Jinggoy’s PDAF went to bogus groups – witness” and published in your newspaper on Sept. 15, 2015.
The last witness of the prosecution Ms. Marissa Santos, chief administrative officer from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), did not testify that the subject Special Allotment Release Orders (SAROs) went to bogus non-government organizations. The prosecution panel also did not offer her testimony for that purpose. She was called to testify on the fact that she has in her custody and that she can identify copies of SAROs subject of the case in her official capacity as an officer of the DBM.
Ms. Santos’ testimony was not even heard in open court, since the prosecution and the defense panels agreed to stipulate certain facts of the case to do away with the direct examination and hasten the proceedings of the bail hearings, which should be summary in nature.
Further, nowhere in the two subject SAROs would show that Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocation went to bogus groups, as mistakenly stated in the article’s title.
In the interest of fair and truthful reporting, we shall appreciate if you could publish this letter in its entirety to rectify the inaccurate reporting of what transpired during the Sept. 14, 2015 bail hearing. – Atty. RACQUEL G. MEJIA, chief of staff of Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada