MANILA, Philippines – Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada quickly dismissed insinuations linking his family to an alleged attempt to extort money from alleged pork barrel scam queen Janet Lim-Napoles, saying it has no basis.
“Nanghihingi lang ako ng sulat e. Bakit ako ang nali-link dyan? I just wanted to know what was the action of the President, what was the instruction of the President to Secretary De Lima. Bakit binabalik sa akin? Malay ko naman dyan?” Estrada said in a phone patch interview with Senate reporters.
(I was just asking for a copy of the letter. Why I’m being linked to it? I just wanted to know what was the action of the President, what was the instruction of the President to Secretary De lima. Why are they turning it against me?)
Senator Jinggoy Estrada. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
He was reacting to President Aquino’s statement that the senator probably knew more about Napoles’ letter.
It was Estrada who first brought up about Napoles’ letter during the confirmation hearing of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima at the Senate Wednesday.
Apparently reacting to Estrada, Aquino revealed the contents of the letter, which showed that Levito Baligod, former lawyer of whistleblower Benhur Luy and Retired General Rodolfo Diaz, former head of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) during the time of then President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada , were allegedly extorting money from Napoles.
But the senator said there was no basis to immediately link his family to the alleged extortion attempt just because Diaz used to work for his father. He said he had no contact with Diaz, and had never seen him.
“Sana kung sya yung talagang nangha-harass kay Napoles, sana antimano, inimbestigahan kaagad si General Diaz kung totoo yung sinasabi ni Mrs. Napoles. They should have investigated him right away. He should not tolerate any misdeeds of our people.”
“Sana nga inimbestigahan sya at that time when President Aquino received the letter of Mrs. Napoles. Sana pinaimbestigahan nya agad sa NBI (National Bureau of Investigation).
Asked if he had any hard feelings for the President, the senator said: “Hindi naman.
There’s no basis naman for my family to be linked dun sa extortion kay Napoles .”
“Bakit, kung ang nirereklamo yung dating PSG, e bakit naman ili-link s aamin yun di ba?” he further asked.