Jinggoy Estrada willing to undergo lie detector test on ‘pork’ scam

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada said he is willing to undergo a lie detector test along with the whistleblowers of the P10 billion “pork barrel” funds scam.

“Anytime, even now,”  Estrada told  reporters  when asked if  he was willing to undergo the test  with the  new whistleblower, Dennis Cunanan.

“Everyone, including the whistleblowers.  We should  all  do it together, including Mrs. Tuason, so we’ll immediately  know  the results,” he said, referring to  Ruby Tuason,  his co-accused in the  plunder case at the Office of the Ombudsman, who turned against him.

Estrada said   he  might also consider attending  the hearing  of the Senate blue ribbon committee next week and face Cunanan,  who  claimed that they had talked over the phone when he was following up the release of his “pork barrel”  funds to organizations linked to Janet Lim-Napoles.

“Tingnan natin (Let’s see). That might be interesting,”   he said when asked if he would attend  the hearing but added that he has yet to consult his lawyers.

The senator reiterated that he did not know Cunanan and that he had never spoken to him on the phone.

Even Cunanan, he said, did not mention about  his alleged phone conversations with him or any other  senators being dragged into the pork scam, when he first appeared in the Senate hearing.

Asked then if he  also suspects that somebody from the  administration could be  behind  Cunanan’s decision to turn against him, Estrada said: “The probability is high.”

“I am  inclined to believe  already that there are some political foes  who are really talking to these witnesses to really pin us down. Imagine a phone call, is that a crime already? Is that the basis for him to be accepted in the Witness Protection Program?”  the senator asked.
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