Jinggoy Estrada: Pork barrel issue publicity stunt for Secretary De Lima
Detained Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada felt that Justice Secretary Leila de Lima only used the issue of the pork barrel scam as “publicity stunt” in preparation for her Senate run in 2016.
“It would seem that Secretary De Lima just rode on the issue and used it as publicity stunt in pursuit of her dreams of joining the Senate,” Estrada said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The latest statements of Secretary Leila de Lima where she practically admitted to abandoning other pending cases related to the PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund, also known as pork barrel) anomaly only prove what I have been saying all along—that she is really just after the three senators and no one else,” Estrada said.
The three senators he was referring to included himself, Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. who were all charged with plunder and detained over the pork barrel scam.
READ: Enrile, Estrada, Revilla indicted
“Mula’t sapul kaming tatlo lang ang talagang hangad nilang dungisan ang reputasyon, ipakulong at wasakin sa kagustuhan nilang pahinain ang oposisyon. At ngayon na nakuha na nila ang kanilang gusto, sinasabi na hindi na nila prayoridad na habulin ang iba pang mga personalidad na maaaring sangkot sa PDAF scam,” he said.
“So what would happen now to the other legislators and to the other foundations/nongovernment organizations identified by the COA (Commission on Audit) in its special audit who were also alleged to have committed irregularities and questionable transactions?”
Even the investigation and prosecution of those behind the multibillion Malamapaya scam, Estrada said, has been deliberately neglected and discarded for good.
“Why? Doesn’t the public deserve to know the truth and attain justice? Are they shelving the investigation because they are protecting the allies of the administration? Indeed, this is selective justice!” the senator said.
De Lima, in an earlier interview, was uncertain whether she would be able to prioritize the filing of charges against the third batch of former and current lawmakers allegedly involved in the scam and the second batch of lawmakers implicated in the misuse of the Malampaya funds before her tenure ends.
READ: De Lima run may delay pork cases
Her name was reportedly included in the short list of possible senatorial bets of the administration’s Liberal Party next year. RC
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