Atty. Jose B. Flaminiano. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JIM GUIAO PUNZALAN
MANILA, Philippines – Principal whistleblower Benhur Luy on Monday broke down in tears after the lawyer of Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada accused him of being involved in massive forgery in the pork barrel scam.
During Estrada’s bail hearing for plunder case at the Sandiganbayan, Estrada’s lawyer Jose Flaminiano castigated Luy for not showing any “remorse” as he admitted before the court in forging signatures of mayors and other government officials.
“He has admitted to committing several acts of falsification but no case has been filed against him. He has shown no remorse, no repentance, no regret,” Flaminiano said.
This after Luy demonstrated how he forged the signatures of various personalities in the alleged scam – among them, mayors and Estrada’s deputy chief of staff Pauline Labayen, who fled from her plunder charges.
Luy broke down in tears as Flaminiano tried to demolish the whistleblower’s credibility.
The prosecution moved to strike off Flaminiano’s manifestation from the court’s records.
The court eventually stopped Flaminiano from making the manifestation.
Luy is the entrusted financial officer of accused mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, but turned his back on his former employer after the businesswoman detained him on suspicions that he was starting his own scam.
The court’s hearing on the pork barrel scam has resulted in the detention of three senators – Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. in the Philippine National Police Custodial Center, and Juan Ponce Enrile under hospital arrest.
Meanwhile, Napoles is detained at the Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig with Enrile’s co-accused and resigned chief of staff Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes.
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