Jinggoy slams TG 'prejudgment' - Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - After several months of holding his peace, Sen.Jinggoy Estrada yesterday let loose a barrage against his colleagues for prejudging him in the pork barrel scam.

At the start of plenary session yesterday, Estrada, who was celebrating his 51st birthday, said he was particularly incensed at the statement made by Blue Ribbon committee chairman Teofisto Guingona III during last Thursday’s hearing about Ruby Tuason’s testimony being a “three-point shot, buzzer beater and winning basket.”

Until yesterday, Estrada had observed from the sidelines the investigation being conducted by Guingona’s committee on the multibillion-peso anomaly.

Tuason, the social secretary of Estrada’s father, former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, testified during the hearing that she personally handed over millions in kickbacks to the senator from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) by alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

Addressing Senate President Franklin Drilon, Estrada asked for a birthday present: that he be allowed to air his gripe about Guingona.

“I almost fell off my seat when the chairman of the Blue Ribbon committee made a conclusion that the testimony of the alleged whistle-blower was a three-point shot, buzzer-beater, winning basket,” Estrada said.

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“I think, Mr. President, we are doing all the investigations here in Congress, specifically in the Senate. And if we conduct hearings, this is all in aid of legislation. As far as I understand I have been in the Senate for 10 long years, and I haven’t prejudged any outcome of the hearing. Is it right for the chairman of the committee to prejudge the outcome of any committee hearings, Mr. President?” Estrada asked.

Visibly irked and emotional, Estrada’s voice rose when he stated how he was not only being demonized in the media, but was also being prejudged by his own peers in the Senate.

“I feel so hurt by the parting statements made by the chairman of the Blue Ribbon committee. And if that’s the case Mr. President, if he chooses that battle, I will give him that battle. No problem with me,” Estrada said.

“We are all peers here, but for me to be judged as guilty, I will not take that sitting down. I will fight this because I have done nothing wrong against our people,” he added.

Guingona was not present in yesterday’s plenary session.

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, who was present yesterday, was not spared the wrath of Estrada, who reminded him about his statements against Vice President Jejomar Binay last week regarding the testimony of Tuason being a dud.

In various interviews and in his press statements, Cayetano said that Binay’s statement tends to discourage more witnesses from coming out and turning state witness.

Cayetano said that these potential witnesses are now thinking twice about coming out because if “Binay were to become president, would these cases be pursued and would the DOJ and NBI continue to be tough against corruption?”

Estrada said that Binay was entitled to air his opinion about the issue, in the same way that Cayetano and the other senators are allowed to say what they want.

“But not the chairman, who has already prejudged the outcome of the committee hearing,” Estrada said.

“Do you think it is unfair, Mr. President? We are being tried by publicity here. I am not asking for help from my fellow senators here. Never did I ask anything, any help from any of my colleagues here. Never because I can defend myself. I know my conscience is clear and I can defend myself in court, in the proper forum,” he said.

Cayetano said that every senator involved in the investigation was aware that there would be hurt feelings and criticism with whatever action they take.

He said that he agreed that Guingona, as chairman of the committee, has responsibilities different from other senators when it comes to investigations.

However, he said that it would be up to Guingona to answer Estrada’s charges if he feels it appropriate.

CCTV recordings gone

Last week, Estrada called for a review of the closed circuit television (CCTV) recordings of the Senate, particularly at the basement parking area for the past few years just to see if there was any footage of Tuason in the premises.

Estrada said that he wanted to prove that Tuason was lying when she claimed that she delivered bags of money to him at the Senate on two occasions.

Drilon said that he was informed by the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms that all of the CCTV recordings until 2010 were no longer around.

Citing the report, Drilon noted that before 2011, all CCTV recordings were stored in VHS format and every 30 days, these tapes were recorded over unless a specific request is made to keep a particular recording.

Drilon said that it was only in 2011 when the Senate started using the DVD format to store its CCTV recordings.

According to Tuason, all her deliveries to Estrada at the Senate took place in 2008.

“Since Mrs. Tuason already mentioned the year in which she allegedly delivered bags of money to me or in my office, I think maybe the Senate President can authorize the release of the CCTV footages wherein we can see the face of Mrs. Tuason, because this involves already the credibility of each member of the Senate and the Senate as an institution,” Estrada said.

Drilon said that he would ask the sergeant-at-arms to submit a report on the situation.

“If it’s available we’ll release it to the public and to the senator. We’ll comply with the request, as soon as I get the report from the sergeant-at-arms, particularly on those particular dates,” Drilon said.

Enrile: No comment

Enrile, on the other hand, refused to dignify yesterday the accusations of Tuason that he pocketed millions of kickbacks from his pork barrel funds.

“I will not discuss that because I never discuss my case in public,” Enrile said.

He also disassociated himself from the Siguion Reyna Montecillio and Ongsiako law firm, of which partner Dennis Manalo is now representing Tuason in the pork barrel scam.

Enrile said he severed ties with the firm in 1965 because he was the only one who supported the presidential bid of former President Ferdinand Marcos while the others supported then President Diosdado Macapagal.

Enrile celebrated his 90th birthday last Friday, Valentine’s Day.

“I wish I have another birthday next year,” Enrile said when asked about his birthday wish. “When you reach my age, everyday is a gift, a bonus. Every night when you go to bed, you thank the Lord for another day.”

Gestapo-like tactics

Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., for his part, decried yesterday the Gestapo-like tactics employed by government agents against his former staff member, Richard Cambe, and other personalities to force them to testify against him, Enrile and Estrada in connection with the pork barrel scam.

Revilla said agents of the National Bureau of Investigation swooped down on the house of Cambe’s mother in Zambales looking for him.

“We’re ready. They are playing too much politics. They have passed the red line, it is no longer humane,” he said.

Revilla issued the statement in the wake of reports that there are more witnesses coming out to bolster the plunder raps against them.

Cambe, the senator’s political adviser, is among the personalities being floated to be turning state witness, along with former President Estrada’s then appointments secretary Pauline Labayen.

Both Estrada and Revilla have expressed confidence that neither of their trusted staff members will go against them.

Not possible

Meanwhile, Binay said over the weekend that Tuason and Napoles cannot be taken as state witness because they are among the most guilty in the pork barrel scam.

Binay said the government agency concerned must first make a thorough review of Republic Act 6981 regarding the requirements for a person to be admitted to the Witness Protection Program.

Binay said Tuason is a principal accused based on her admission of her participation in the anomaly.

He said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had stressed that the government has an airtight case against the accused in the pork barrel scam.

Binay added that the public should wait for a court decision before making a conclusion that the suspects in the scam are guilty. – With Christina Mendez, Jose Rodel Clapano

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