Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

Kaxandra Salonga

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178634237271020160801-sandigan-bayan-jc-3.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Sandiganbayan. ABS-CBN News/File "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Sandiganbayan. <em>ABS-CBN News/File </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has admitted whistleblower Benhur Luy’s Daily Disbursement Record as evidence for the prosecution in the graft case against detained businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles and former Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC) party-list Rep. Edgar Valdez over the alleged misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).</p><p>In a resolution promulgated on August 5, Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses ruled to admit the printouts of Luy’s daily financial entries despite objections raised by Napoles&#x27; camp.</p><p>Napoles’ counsel previously argued the documents failed to satisfy the legal authentication standards set under the Rules on Electronic Evidence.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/24/janet-lim-napoles-ex-agri-exec-convicted-of-malversation-over-p50-million-farm-aid-1033">Ex-DAR undersecretary, Napoles convicted of malversation over alleged P50-million non-existent farm inputs</a></div><p>However, the court said Luy adequately authenticated the files when he explained that he kept the disbursement records since 2004, saved them on an external hard drive, and printed the files during the investigation and court proceedings.</p><p>&quot;Under the Rules on Electronic Evidence... an electronic document shall be regarded as the equivalent of an original document under the Best Evidence Rule if it is a printout or output readable by sight or other means, shown to reflect the data accurately,&quot; the resolution read.</p><p>The court said that objections regarding the lack of supporting vouchers or claims that certain non-government organizations (NGOs) were omitted in the original complaint concern the probative value of the exhibits, which will be evaluated when the cases are submitted for final judgment.</p><p>“[A] particular item of evidence may be admissible, but its evidentiary weight depends on judicial evaluation within the guidelines provided by the rules of evidence,” the court said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/2/benhur-luy-some-docs-on-pdaf-transactions-shredded-in-jln-office-1428">Benhur Luy: Some docs on PDAF transactions ‘shredded’ in JLN office</a></div><p>Aside from Luy&#x27;s disbursement logs, the anti-graft court admitted other documentary evidence submitted by the prosecution, including Special Allotment Release Orders from the Department of Budget and Management, public reports from the Commission on Audit, investigation files from the Anti-Money Laundering Council, and Luy&#x27;s external hard drive itself.</p><p>The court set the initial presentation of evidence for the defense on August 18.</p><p>The prosecution alleged Valdez received kickbacks for his PDAF that were funneled to the non-governmental organizations owned by Napoles such as the Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. (MAMFI), Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc. (PSDFI), and Social Development Program for Farmer&#x27;s Foundation Inc. (SDPFFFI).</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eOhexBNlpUc?si=0M35RZoLpJ1joFzf" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>In a resolution promulgated on August 5, Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses ruled to admit the printouts of Benhur Luy’s daily financial entries despite objections raised by Janet Lim Napoles' camp.</p>

In a resolution promulgated on August 5, Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses ruled to admit the printouts of Benhur Luy’s daily financial entries despite objections raised by Janet Lim Napoles' camp.

Benhur Luy’s records admitted as evidence in graft case vs Napoles, ex-Rep. Valdez

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Benhur Luy’s records admitted as evidence in graft case vs Napoles, ex-Rep. Valdez

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 10, 2026 02:39 PM PHT

Read More:

Sandiganbayan

PDAF

Ombudsman

graft

Valdez

APEC

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