Ruby Tuason: I delivered 'heavy' bagfuls of money to Jinggoy - GMA News

Ruby Tuason, whistleblowers at Senate 'pork' probe. Possible state witness Ruby Tuason (seated, center) is flanked by whistleblower Benhur Luy and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, along with other pork barrel scam whistleblowers, at the Senate inquiry on Thursday, February 13, into the alleged misuse by some lawmakers of P10-B Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Maki Pulido

Potential state witness Ruby Tuason on Thursday detailed before the Senate blue ribbon committee her alleged transactions with Senator Jinggoy Estrada, involving millions in pork barrel funds.

Tuason said that in 2004, she personally delivered P5.7 million to Senator Estrada's residence in Greenhills in San Juan City.

She however added that this transaction was eventually canceled, with Senator Estrada saying, "Huwag na lang."

Tuason said the first full transaction with Estrada happened on December 3, 2007, with the senator receiving P25 million in commission from his pork barrel funds allocated to the Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC).

Also, she said she delivered bagfuls of money to Estrada's Senate office, but could not recall the exact amounts.

In delivering the money, she said she would pass through the Senate basement to avoid inspection, and will oftentimes be met by a member of Estrada's staff before proceeding to his office.

"Mabigat 'yung pera. I used that hand-carried bag, 'yung may gulong. If the amount is small, like P1 million or P2 million, kasya in my bag. That will fit in my bag. If it's bigger than that, we need a big bag," Tuason said.

In her affidavit submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Tuason admitted to personally delivering kickbacks from Estrada and Gigi Reyes, former chief-of-staff of Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile.

Tuason, Enrile, Estrada and Reyes are all facing plunder raps before the Office of the Ombudsman for their alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam, supposedly engineered by detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles. — LBG, GMA News

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