Jinggoy Estrada decries Senate body’s slow probe on Malampaya fund scam

Detained Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Detained Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada on Monday questioned why the Senate blue ribbon committee has been “dragging its feet” to investigate the alleged multi-billion peso Malampaya scam.

Estrada noted that it has been almost a year since the scam came out in the news but the committee has not done anything yet “to uncover the truth behind the exposé.”

“This is despite the fact that there is a pending resolution calling for a full blown inquiry into the issue,” he said in a statement sent to reporters by his office.

“Moreover, the matter has not been acted upon even if the body has already released its report on the PDAF issue (the “probe” of which, it seems, has already been abandoned as its sole purpose of besmirching the reputation of the three target senators has been achieved).”

PDAF is Priority Development Assistance Fund also known as “pork barrel” funds, which was the subject of the committee’s investigation following reports of alleged irregularities involving some senators like Estrada.

Estrada, along with Senators Juan Ponce-Enrile and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and several individuals, has been charged with plunder and detained over the “pork barrel” scam.

It has been almost months  also, he said, since the  chairman of the  committee, Senator Teofisto Guingona III, “publicly declared” and categorically promised” to look into the Malampaya funds  scam.

“I can only think of two possible causes why the committee has been dragging its feet – first, the chairman is not really interested in probing the scam and that he just said otherwise “para magpa-pogi (so he can make himself look good)” and second, that the body through the clever leadership of its chairman is shielding the allies of the administration who might be dragged into the controversy,” said Estrada.

Notwithstanding the pressing issue of impending power supply shortage in 2015 and the calls for the President to resolve the energy crisis using emergency powers, Estrada said, the Senate is “duty bound to unmask the architect and its cohorts behind the scam that is said to be worse than fertilizer fund scam and bigger than the pork barrel scam.”

“I am hopeful that the Senate leadership will still find resolve to carry out its mandate of investigating anomalies inside the bureaucracy, bringing responsible persons to account and legislating measures to enhance government processes,” he added.

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