I chose truth over friendship—Ruby Tuason on pork scam

Socialite Ruby Tuason on Monday testifies (inset) against detained Senator Jinggoy Estrada at the Sandiganbayan that she delivered millions of kickbacks to Estrada from the alleged pork barrel scam. Photos by Marc Cayabyab/INQUIRER.net

Allies turned to foes after a family friend of detained senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada declared she would rather tell the truth than value a long-time friendship that turned sour in the course of the alleged pork barrel scam.

Testifying for the first time before the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division on Monday, socialite turned state’s witness Ruby Tuason said Estrada refused to help her when the lid on the alleged scam blew open.

Tuason said this rejection compelled her to divulge the truth rather than value their friendship after returning from the United States.

BACKSTORY: Ruby Tuason to tell all in Napoles scam

During Estrada’s bail hearing from plunder, Tuason said she fled the country on Aug. 26, 2013, after she read her name in the newspapers for her alleged involvement.

“I went to the States because my name came out in the newspapers. I got scared, I was scared for my life,” Tuason said.

She said a day before that, or on Aug. 25, she visited the house of Estrada to ask for his assistance in finding a lawyer.

Estrada supposedly did not recommend two of his lawyers, Atty. Noel Malaya and Atty. Jose Flaminiano, because they were too old and sickly. They later turned out to be Estrada’s counsels in his plunder case.

“I asked him if I can get Flame (Flaminiano). Ang sabi niya sa akin, matanda na yun… Then I asked, baka pwede si Atty. Malaya. Ang sagot niya, na-stroke na ‘yun,” Tuason said, eliciting laughter from the audience and the lawyers mentioned who were present in court.

“Only for me to find out, mga abogado pala niya lahat ‘yun (later on),” she added.

When she was already in the States, Tuason said Estrada called her up and told her of his frustrations about the administration’s efforts to smear his reputation by dragging him in the pork barrel scam.

But when Tuason asked him if he could help her, Estrada said he could not give her any assistance, she said.

“Senator Estrada called me up a few times. He was very upset at what the administration had done. He said ‘Walang hiya itong administrasyong ito.’ … I asked if he would be able to help me. Sabi niya, ‘We’re in the same boat,'” Tuason said.

Tuason said Estrada called her up a second time and informed her that in his interviews to reporters he said he had nothing to do with Tuason in relation to the alleged scam.

Around that time also, Tuason said her former boss and Jinggoy’s father, former President Joseph Estrada, also told media that he has never talked with her since he stepped down from the presidency.

Tuason served as Mayor Estrada’s social secretary when he was President.

“I said to myself, they are really distancing themselves from me. I asked (Jinggoy) again if he could help me and he said he could not,” Tuason said.

Jinggoy’s mother, former Sen. Loi Ejercito, also called her up twice while she was in the States, Tuason told the court.

“I asked her (Loi) if she could ask Jinggoy to help me. She said, ‘Paano ka niya tutulungan, eh wala din siya?'” Tuason said.

The ally turned state’s witness said she realized that Estrada’s family apparently had dropped her from their peer group and was not willing to help her in any way.

“I realized something. I thought they were my friends. I guessed they’re not,” Tuason said.

“I decided to choose between friendship and telling the truth. I chose the truth,” she added.

After the hearing, Senator Estrada denied that Tuason asked for help to get a lawyer, adding that what Tuason was asking for is money to help her in her case.

The detained senator denied all of Tuason’s allegations of corruption, and said Tuason is only bent on “saving her own skin” than side with the truth.

Meanwhile, Manila mayor Joseph Estrada denied that he is close to Ruby Tuason, and that he is close only to her late husband Butch Tuason.

The former President also said it is Tuason who is the “commissioner” or the one receiving kickbacks.

Tuason had admitted before a Senate hearing that she delivered bags of kickback to the Senate office of Estrada, who is detained for plunder over the alleged diversion of his PDAF to ghost projects for kickbacks through Napoles’ bogus foundations.

She also admitted before the court that she served as Estrada’s agent in 2004 and in 2008 and that she had received a 5 percent and 10 percent commissions from Estrada’s pork barrel projects, respectively.

BACKSTORY: Ruby Tuason: Kickbacks brought to Senate in bags

She had returned to government her kickbacks amounting to at least P40 million as a condition for her to become state’s witness and thus immune from suit.

But her immunity does not save her from prosecution over another corruption scandal–the alleged Malampaya fund scam, where farmer storm victims were deprived of P900 million in assistance from energy funds after all these funds were purportedly pilfered through Napoles’ bogus foundations.

Napoles had tagged Tuason as showing her a list of government funds amounting to P25 billion, and recommending the P900 million Malampaya fund that would be coursed through the Department of Agrarian Reform to earn kickbacks.

Tuason is part of the Malampaya fund scam complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman charging plunder against Napoles, former President Gloria Arroyo, former Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, former Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya and his Undersecretary Rafael Nieto, former DAR Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, DAR finance officer Teresita Panlilio, and Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos.

Arroyo was implicated by virtue of an Executive Order she issued authorizing the release of the said energy funds into aid for storm victims.

Tuason, meanwhile, was implicated as receiving P242.775 million from Malampaya but for a still unknown recipient.

The charges over the pork barrel scam have resulted in the detention for plunder of Estrada and Senators Ramon Revilla Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile, as well as of former representatives Rizalina Seachon Lanete and Edgar Valdez.

Accused mastermind Napoles is also detained for plunder. She was earlier sentenced to life in prison for the serious illegal detention of principal whistleblower Benhur Luy. AU

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