Estrada expects to be ‘demonized’ at Senate hearing Thursday

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Sen. Jinggoy Estrada expects nothing less than being “demonized” when socialite Ruby Chan Tuason testifies before the Senate Thursday on how she delivered bags of pork barrel kickbacks to senators.

Tuason is expected to detail her role as the bagman of Janet Lim-Napoles in the P10-billion pork barrel scam, including her dealings with senators, when she takes the witness stand at today’s blue ribbon committee hearing.

Other whistle-blowers

And she would get some help from whistle-blowers Benhur Luy, his mother Gertrudes Luy, Merlina Suñas and Marina Sula, who are expected to appear anew with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima at the hearing.

“I think the hearing tomorrow is meant to depict us as demons here, as villains here,” said Estrada, who made no bones about feeling betrayed by the turnaround of Tuason, a close family friend.

Estrada said he expected Tuason and the whistle-blowers to “corroborate” key details of his alleged involvement in the scam, such as dates and amounts of kickbacks.

The mere fact that Tuason was at the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters on Wednesday was proof they were cooking up something, he said.

“It’s really painful,” said Estrada, who is inhibiting himself from the hearing, like his colleagues linked to the scam.

Trays of food 

Tuason, who flew home from the United States on Friday, said she played the role of Napoles’ bagman and personally delivered kickbacks from the racket.

She said she delivered bags containing millions of pesos to Estrada’s office in the Senate. On the other hand, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile’s former chief of staff, Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, received the money for him in restaurants and in her house.

If Tuason brought him anything in the Senate, it was food, said Estrada, who had requested the sergeant at arms to produce footage of Tuason’s supposed visits to the Senate through the basement parking.

“I even shared the food with the other senators. She would bring trays of food,” he said.

Estrada said he may watch the “zarzuela,” saying that after all, he expected the witnesses to “fabricate stories.”

‘Become statesmen’

“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,” he said in a message to his colleagues.

The senator said he wished that these testimonies were instead given in court, should the Ombudsman elevate the plunder complaint against them to the Sandiganbayan.

Estrada said he hoped the Ombudsman would take a look at their counteraffidavits and not be influenced by the statements of De Lima.

He urged De Lima to refrain from making statements that would influence the Ombudsman’s resolution on the complaint.

Mother upset

Estrada said his mother, former Sen. Loi Ejercito, was “upset” about a report that she also received kickbacks from her Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

“The timing is very, very suspicious,” he said, pointing out that the whistle-blowers should have come out with the story when they had the evidence.

He said his mother had nothing to do with the scam, and should not be implicated in the scam.

“When Mrs. Tuason came out, suddenly my mother was implicated the next day. I think that’s unfair… I hope they spare my mother. She has been quiet all this time,” he said.

Former secretary

Estrada also doubted his former secretary, Pauline Labayen, who is also facing a complaint over the scam in the Ombudsman, would turn against him.

“I am very confident that my former secretary will not turn against me. First of all she has nothing to do with this. She was also implicated by the whistle-blowers. But they had no proof,” he said.

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