Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Some senators had also eaten the food that suspect-turned-state witness Ruby Tuason had brought to Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada in the Senate.
A day before Tuason is set to appear before the blue ribbon committee on Thursday, Estrada disclosed that he had also shared with some of his colleagues the food that Tuason had personally delivered to him in the chamber.
“The food that she gave me, she delivered to me, I also shared it with some senators because she brought trays full of snacks,” the senator said of Tuason.
Tuason, who is also charged with plunder at the Office of the Ombudsman, alleged in her affidavit that she brought Estrada’s commissions for funnelling his pork barrel funds to bogus non-government organizations, to the Senate.
But the senator strongly denied the allegation and even requested the chamber to release the CCTV footages to prove his accuser wrong.
“Of course, it hurts. It hurts. Because in the first place there’s really nothing. That’s why I’m requesting to release the footages of the CCTV really verify if indeed Tita Ruby delivered money to me,” Estrada said.
Saying it was “unfair” to single him and his family out in the pork controversy, Estrada also dared his accusers to name other senators , who might have been involved in the scam.
“I hope they will also identify other senators, whom they are trying to protect, those that they don’t want them to name. They should also expose them if they really have documents,” he said.
Estrada, who had inhibited from the Senate probe on the issue, said he might just probably watch Thursday’s hearing, which he described as another “telenovela” and “zarzuela.”
Asked if he had a message for his colleagues , who would attend the hearing , the senator said: “Well, to quote Thomas Jefferson: ‘A politician looks forward to the next election. But a statesman looks forward to the next generation.’ I hope they become statesmen.”
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