Estrada to appeal plunder, graft raps against him

Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada said his lawyers will file on Monday (April 7) a motion for reconsideration on the Ombudsman’s ruling  to charge him and other personalities in court with plunder and graft in connection with the pork barrel funds scam.

“Maghahain na po kami sa darating na Lunes sapagkat natanggap na po ng aking abogado ‘yung joint resolution na nanggaling po sa Ombudsman,” Estrada said in a television interview on Wednesday.

(We will file [a motion for reconsideration] on Monday because my lawyer already received the joint resolution from the Ombudsman.)

“Pero syempre ini-expect ko na ibabasura nila ‘yun. But syempre we will exhaust all legal remedies,” he said.

(But of course I’m expecting that they will reject it. But of course, we will exhaust all legal remedies.)

Estrada, who is in Los Angeles, promised to return to the country to face the charges against him. He said he was scheduled to return home after Holy Week.

The senator also expressed readiness to return to jail if the court will issue a warrant of arrest against him.

“E nakulong na ako dati, sanay na akong makulong (I was jailed before, I’m already used to it),” he said, referring to the plunder case that was filed before against him and his father, former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.

“Noong ikunulong nila ako dati, dalawang taon nila akong ikinulong pagkatapos just to be acquitted of all the charges against  me dahil wala naman silang nakitang ako’y may kinuhang kahit na isang kusing sa kaban ng ating bayan. Ngayon pa?”

(When they sent me to jail before, they imprisoned me for two years just to be acquitted of all the charges against me because they did not prove that I stole a single cent from the public’s coffers. What more now?)

“E talagang haharapin ko ito dahil I can tell you straight,  gusto ko sabihin sa taumbayan, sa aking mga kababayang Pilipino, wala po akong kasalanan, wala po akong ninakaw kahit isang kusing sa ating kaban ng bayan,” the senator added.

Aside from Senator Estrada, the Ombudsman also found enough basis to charge Senators Juan Ponce-Enrile and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles and several others with plunder and graft in connection with the alleged illegal disbursements of the Priority Development Assistance Fund also known as “pork barrel” funds.

Enrile and Revilla have also repeatedly denied the allegations.

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