Estrada: Tuason was mastermind of Malampaya fund scam

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Accused-turned-state witness Ruby Tuason was the “mastermind” of the Malampaya funds scam, Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada said on Friday.

“I know that she is the mastermind of the so-called Malampaya scam. And up to now, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has not started investigating the alleged Malampaya scam,” Estrada said in a television interview.

“Sen. (Teofisto) Guingona has repeatedly said that he was about to start investigating the Malampaya scam but to no avail,” he said.

Guingona is the chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, which is investigating the “pork barrel” fund scam.

Estrada issued the statement as the Office of the Ombudsman granted Tuason’s request to be a state witness in the “pork” scam.

Estrada said he was no longer surprised by the Ombudsman’s decision, saying he already expected it at the onset.

“At the onset I expected that Mrs. Ruby Tuason will be granted immunity although she was included as one of the accused by the DOJ (Department of Justice) and the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) in a joint resolution earlier issued by the Ombudsman to make it appear that there was a semblance of fairness to this ongoing investigation,” he said.

“But we all know that this is already a done deal and the only real targets of this persecution from the very beginning are the three senators,” Estrada said.

The three senators he was referring to are Juan Ponce-Enrile, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and himself who are all facing plunder and graft charges in connection with the pork scam.

Asked if he would ask the Ombudsman to reconsider its decision to grant immunity to Tuason, Estrada said he has yet to consult his lawyers.

But he expressed confidence that when the issue is elevated in court, he would be “victorious” in the end and Tuason would “crumble” in the cross-examination.