MANILA, Philippines – “Ako magso-sorry? Why should I apologize?”
This was how Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada reacted to Fr. Edu Gariguez’, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, statements that senators charged with plunder in connection with the “pork barrel” scam” should apologize to the public.
Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada. NINO JESUS ORBETA/INQUIRER
Estrada said there was no basis for him to apologize, saying his “conscience is clear.”
The senator though agreed with his father, former President and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, that he was just “careless” with his “pork barrel” funds but did not steal public funds.
Senator Estrada said he was “careless” in a sense that he trusted the non-government organizations (NGOs) that received his pork barrel funds were legitimate.
“…I was made to believe that these NGOs were legitimate because I’ve been receiving reports coming from the farmer beneficiaries na talagang nagde-deliver sila ng mga supplies, agricultural inputs…” he said during the weekly “Kapihan sa Senado” on Thursday.
“Had I known that these were bogus NGOs, bakit naman ako mag cha-channel ng aking PDAF sa mga bogus NGOs and that’s the duty and responsibility of the implementing agencies to determine whether an NGO is bogus or not,” the senator Estrada added.
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