Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile: Not PDAF but a prospective property transaction. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada aren’t keen on facing off with Ruby Tuason over the pork barrel scam on Thursday, preferring to meet her in court.
Enrile also doubted that his former chief of staff, Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, had any reason to say anything against him.
“I must admit she’s a casual acquaintance,” Enrile said of Tuason, who flew home on Friday from the United States to testify that she delivered kickbacks to the senators at the instance of Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the pork barrel scam.
Enrile admitted arranging lunch with Tuason either in late 2006 or early 2007, with Reyes around, to discuss the sale of a property. He said this was the only time he personally met Tuason.
Enrile denied dealing with Tuason on the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Estrada said he never authorized Tuason to handle his PDAF.
“The only time that I met her is in Mamou, a very crowded restaurant. And it was not to discuss the PDAF or to receive a bribe, but I was discussing with her a prospective property transaction. That was about it,” Enrile told reporters.
Enrile said he brought Reyes along so she could record the details of the meeting with Tuason since he was “hard of hearing.”
“I was never given any pork barrel fund. Kickback? I don’t know because I do not live with Mrs. Reyes. I do not live in her house,” he said, reacting to Tuason’s claims she brought the kickbacks for him to Reyes.
No-show at hearing
Enrile, who said he would respond to Tuason’s affidavit in due time, said he would skip again the Senate blue ribbon committee’s hearing on the scandal on Thursday.
“I inhibited myself from the very start. I don’t want to be misunderstood. This is a case, and I have to handle it properly as a case. I am going to face my accuser in the courtroom,” Enrile said.
Enrile, Estrada, Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., Napoles and 34 others are facing a plunder complaint in connection with the scam in the Office of the Ombudsman.
Tuason has confessed to being Napoles’ bagman and to delivering kickbacks to the senators.
Tuason said she delivered bags containing millions of pesos to Estrada’s office in the Senate. On the other hand, Reyes received the money for Enrile in restaurants and in her house.
Estrada, for his part, said he was also inhibiting himself from the hearing, and would face Tuason in court if the Department of Justice elevated the complaint to the Sandiganbayan.
“If I face her, and if she lies, do you expect me to cite her in contempt? I can’t do that. And she has immunity. I’d end up the loser,” Estrada told reporters.
CCTV footage
In the afternoon session, Estrada manifested that Senate President Franklin Drilon order Sergeant at Arms Jose Balajadia to release CCTV footage of Tuason entering the Senate through the basement parking.
“I just want to clear the coast. I’m not guilty. She did not deliver any money to me, in my residence, most specifically in the Senate,” Estrada said, referring to Tuason’s claims she delivered the money to him through the basement parking. “I have nothing to hide.”
Enrile also said he doubted Reyes had any reason to turn against him.
“What will she say?” Enrile said when asked if he feared Reyes saying anything against him. “I have faith in her honesty and integrity because she has been working for me for almost 25 years and there has never been any occasion that she violated that degree of rectitude expected from a public servant.”
Enrile said he was confident Reyes never received any money for him.
“As far as I know, yes,” he said.
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