Jinggoy Estrada rejects leave of absence calls

Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, who has been accused of receiving kickbacks from anomalous disbursement of his “pork barrel” funds, has rejected anew calls for him to take a leave of absence.

“Why should I take a leave? I have done nothing wrong,” Estrada told reporters after her co-accused in a plunder case, Ruby Tuason, testified at the Senate Thursday.

Tuason, during the hearing of the blue ribbon committee, said n she had personally handed “commissions” to Estrada in his office in the Senate as well as in his residence in San Juan City.

Estrada has denied the allegation.

Senator Teofisto Guingona III, chairman of the committee, said it would be up to Estrada to address the issue of taking a leave of absence now that there was a direct testimony against him.

“That’s for Senator Estrada to address. I think I should not be the one to say that,” Guingona said also after the hearing Thursday.

The committee has yet to decide when it would hold its next hearing to receive the testimonies of actor Matt Ranillo and other personalities mentioned by Tuason during Thursday’s hearing.

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