MANILA, Philippines—Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. have just been given the opportunity to defend themselves in the forum they have long been pining for, a fellow lawmaker said on Tuesday.
Sen. Francis Escudero saw the silver lining for his colleagues on the day that Estrada said was marred by an April Fools’ Day operation and that Revilla said was marked by a brazen resolution by the Office of the Ombudsman.
“At least, finally, they will be given their day in court,” said Escudero, who sought the Senate inquiry into the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
The April Fools’ Day operation Estrada was referring to was Sen. Teofisto Guingona III’s announcement of the findings of the Senate blue ribbon committee on the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
The brazen resolution that Revilla mentioned was the Office of the Ombudsman’s finding of probable cause to indict him, Estrada and Enrile as well as several others for plunder and graft in connection with the pork scam.
The three senators have denied any wrongdoing in the disbursement of their pork barrel allocations but inhibited themselves from the Senate blue ribbon committee inquiry.
They said they wanted to answer the charges in court.
Proper forum
“This is the proper forum now for them to defend themselves, to prove that the allegations against them are not true. I think they should welcome this as an opportunity to finally air their side,” Escudero said.
Enrile didn’t issue any comment following the Ombudsman’s news conference on its findings and Guingona’s announcement of the blue ribbon committee report.
Synchronized
“I think this is a very well-synchronized April Fools’ Day operation because it seemed that the Ombudsman and the Senate blue ribbon committee coordinated with one another,” Estrada said over dzMM.
Estrada has been in the United States since last week to be with his wife, Precy, who is going to have a follow-up medical check. A member of his staff said the couple and their children would also be on vacation.
Cathay flight
The Manila International Airport Authority confirmed that Estrada booked a Cathay Pacific flight on March 26, departing from Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 8:45 a.m.
According to the Cathay Pacific flight information desk, flight number CX192 was bound for Hong Kong.
“After several minutes [of Guingona’s announcement], the Ombudsman also has a press con announcing the same, recommending the filing of charges against the three senators,” Estrada noted.
Estrada said he wasn’t expecting anything different from the blue ribbon panel chaired by Guingona.
“As I have said before, they use this to promote their own political and vested interests at our expense,” Estrada said.
He vowed to return soon to face all the cases against him.
Prejudgment
In a separate statement, Estrada said: “I was not expecting to receive a fair treatment from the Senate blue ribbon committee, as we have seen how the membership and its chair handled the series of proceedings on the issue.
“The chair (Guingona) has already issued his prejudgment even prior to this date when he is releasing the committee report. Some of the members as well have shown their patent bias and partiality against their own beleaguered colleagues, in pursuit of personal ambitions and political agenda.”
Reconsideration
Estrada said he would file a motion for reconsideration in the Office of the Ombudsman.
“Nevertheless, I wish to reiterate that I am ready to defend myself in court. I believe that the court is the proper forum to prove my innocence and to defend myself. It is after all the one that will render decision and hopefully dispense justice on the case,” the senator said.
A lawyer for Revilla said Guingona’s announcement of the contents of an unsigned committee report was clearly meant “to besmirch personalities.”
“It is merely a scrap of paper. No one has even signed it and it has yet to be approved,” said Joel Bodegon.
Revilla is with his family on a 10-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
As for the finding of probable cause by the Ombudsman, Bodegon said, “We were taken aback by the brazenness of the Ombudsman in hastily resolving the preliminary investigation against Senator Revilla.”
Petition in Supreme Court
He said the Estrada camp would still have a petition for certiorari in the Supreme Court against the Ombudsman for allegedly exercising abuse of its discretion.
“In fact, oral arguments on that petition were supposed to be held today but were moved back by the court to April 22,” Bodegon said in a statement.
“This act of the Ombudsman is an affront to the jurisdiction and authority of the Supreme Court, which we pray the court will not let pass,” Bodegon added.
He said the Ombudsman’s move, “which clearly demonstrates grave abuse of discretion, is an attempt to render our petition in the Supreme Court moot and academic.”
“But that cannot be the case. We believe that the court will act to protect its integrity and demand respect that is due it, against this incursion by the Ombudsman, and resolve our petition on its merits and void the Ombudsman’s actions,” Bodegon said.
He said the Ombudsman “cannot escape its grave abuse of discretion by ignoring the matter pending with Court and assert moral mootness as a result of their unilateral act.”—With reports from Michael Lim Ubac and Jaymee Gamil
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