De Lima admits Sen. Estrada free to travel despite gov’t bid to cancel passport

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila De Lima on Monday said there is no stopping Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada from going to the United States despite the Department of Justice’s move to cancel his passport.

Estrada, his colleagues Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and several others have been included in the DOJ’s request to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for the cancellation of their passports due to their involvement in the pork barrel scam.

“There being no action yet on our request for passport cancellation, I see no impediment for Senator Jinggoy’s announced trip, especially so that it is accompanied by a publicly declared undertaking to return,” De Lima said in a text message to reporters.

On the other hand, De Lima took a jab at House independent minority bloc leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez who said that De Lima’s move in cancelling passports of those implicated in the scam is premature.

Romualdez also said that the DOJ’s move implies arbitrariness and a persecution that is wanting of any legal and factual basis.

But De Lima said “that’s not the case here. The NBI’s findings are clear and convincing enough.”

“We don’t have to go thru a media blitz to prove a point or for the people to get interested in the burning issues of the day,” she said.

She added that not only the media but also the entire public are interested in anything and everything about the pork barrel scam.