TV5 News Chief Luchi Cruz Valdez Vehemently Denies Receiving Any Gift From Janet Napoles

TV5’S NEWS CHIEF, Luchi Cruz Valdez, is one of those implicated in the PDAF scandal. Here’s part of her official statement about it: “I deny and denounce any imputation or suggestion that I benefited in any way from the PDAF funds facilitated by Mr. Benhur Luy. I have not ever met Mr. Luy, Ms. Janet Lim Napoles, or anyone from JLN Corp., and certainly have not received any gift in any form from their company. More broadly, over the course of more than three decades as a journalist, I have never received any gift from any party in exchange for any kind of consideration in my news coverage.

“For the record, the Philippine Daily Inquirer should be aware that, in the period of 2004 to 2008, over which time PDI reports that Mr. Benhur Luy and a certain Mr. Mon Arroyo supposedly facilitated disbursements to media personalities, including supposedly to me as a member “of Probe Team”, I was no longer part of the esteemed media group. I was already six years out of Probe as of 2004, to be exact.

“I deny any knowledge of the supposed “representation expense” incurred on my behalf by Mr. Mon Arroyo, as mentioned in the PDI report. I denounce the reckless inclusion of my name in a list that has no legal legs to stand on. Luy’s supposed record is largely hearsay; the reporting of such as anything even remotely truthful not only casts grave doubt on my person and professional integrity, but on that of the very institution of the press of which the Inquirer is part.”