Press Statement of Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto
"Cleared by COA, not once, but twice."

I thank the Commission on Audit for clearing my name twice. First, on the COA report itself when it categorically stated that I did not sign any documents. And second, in today's hearing when the COA auditor-in-charge confirmed that indeed I did not sign any request, endorsement, contract or for that matter, any piece of paper, related to the fund release erroneously attributed to me.

We have also made inquiries with the Department of Budget and Management and a search of their records showed that they do not have on file any official request I signed.

This supports our initial belief that funds were released with neither our request nor knowledge.

Endorsing projects to NGOs has never been in our template of PDAF usage. As records would show, almost 100% of our transparent PDAF releases has been to hard infrastructure projects like roads, schools and bridges, or health and education related like assistance to indigent patients of the PGH, Philippine Heart Center, National Kidney Transplant Institute, Lung Center, East Avenue Memorial Medical Center, Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, San Lazaro Hospital, and scholarship grants to 20 state universities and colleges which last year benefited 2,635 students.