DETAINED Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada will not accept the apology of the thief who sneaked into his house and stole cash early Saturday.
The senator, who is facing trial over the alleged pork barrel scam, also said he was puzzled by the thief who according to police not only stole cash, but also helped himself with food at Estrada’s kitchen then defecated in the balcony.
“Uminom pa ng juice, nagbalat pa ng mansanas and he really felt relaxed in our house knowing na walang tao roon. At pagkatapos niyang kumain, pumunta roon sa kuwarto namin, sa office ng misis ko, and that was the time when he took some valuables and cash sa opisina ng misis ko,” Estrada said after his bail hearing Monday.
“At hindi lang iyon, doon sa balcony, maraming portions doon sa bahay, pati sa baba na nag-defecate ang suspect. Hindi lang isang beses, hindi lang sa balcony. The other day, mayroong natagpuang na ano at ang pinang-takip pa doon sa kanyang dumi ay short pants pa ng anak kong bunso,” Estrada added.
“Hindi ko alam kung gawain ito ng matinong tao ,” he said.
Asked about the suspect’s apology that he did not know it was Senator Estrada’s house, the detained lawmaker said: “Hindi naman ganung (kasimple yun).”
He said he was most bothered about his daughter’s trauma after seeing the house ransacked and filthy.
“Iyong trauma na na-experience ng anak ko, hanggang ngayon ayaw na niyang umuwi sa bahay… Dahil natatakot. Biruin mo, nakita niya ang kuwarto niya na ganoon ang ayos,” Estrada said.
The senator also lamented that he was helpless at the time the burglary was committed as he is detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center.
“Hindi ko ma-express ang reaksyon ko noong Saturday night when my eldest daughter told me na mayroong magnanakaw doon sa (bahay). I was really helpless inside the Custodial Center… Hindi ko ma-explain ang reaksyon ko; I was really shouting na humihingi ako ng saklolo. Kasi wala ako roon, ang pamilya ko lang ang nandoon, ang asawa ko ang nandoon, pati mga anak ko,” Estrada said.
“So, they were really helpless, and I was also helpless,” he added.
According to police, Eric Dalagan, 34, rummaged through Estrada’s daughter’s room and the office of Estrada’s wife Precy in their house in Corinthian Hills, Quezon City, before eating in the kitchen and defecating in the balcony.
Dalagan jumped from the balcony after Precy and the rest of the family had just arrived early Saturday from the birthday of Estrada’s mother former senator Loi.
The suspect was later mauled on the street as he was attempting to escape.
Estrada was also angry that the incident happened on the night of his mother’s 85th birthday for which he was forbidden to attend by the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division hearing his case.
“Iyong hindi ako pinayagan ng Sandiganbayan, that happened Saturday early morning. According to my wife, iyong suspect daw nandoon siya sa loob ng bahay for around 4-5 hours as seen in the CCTV footage,” he said.
Estrada is facing plunder and graft charges over the scheme of using his Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) to ghost projects for kickbacks allegedly masterminded by Janet Lim-Napoles. His mother Loi herself has been identified by witnesses as also having dealt with Napoles.
Napoles is serving a separate life sentence for the serious illegal detention of pork scam principal whistle-blower Benhur Luy.
The hearings on the pork barrel scam have resulted in the detention for plunder of Senators Estrada, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile, as well as former Representatives Rizalina Seachon Lanete and Edgar Valdez. AC