Ruby Tuason details delivering kickbacks to Jinggoy in pork scam

Ruby Tuason. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Socialite and state’s witness Ruby Tuason detailed before the Sandiganbayan Monday her transactions as agent of detained senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada in the alleged pork barrel scam.

During Estrada’s bail hearing from plunder, Tuason said she served as Estrada’s agent in 2004 and in 2008 after she met accused mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

Tuason said she first met Napoles in 2004 through her husband Butch Tuason when Napoles was eyeing to buy Ruby’s house.

When Napoles found out that Ruby was the former social secretary of Jinggoy’s father, former President now Manila mayor Joseph Estrada, Tuason said Napoles asked her to be introduced to Jinggoy Estrada.

Napoles supposedly asked Tuason to relay to Estrada that he could earn kickbacks if he deals his pork projects with her, Tuason said.

Tuason said she asked Estrada if he would be interested to transact with Napoles for commissions. Estrada supposedly said he would think about it, Tuason said.

Tuason said Estrada’s deputy chief of staff Pauline Labayen later called her up and asked her to deal with Napoles for a project worth P37.5 million from Estrada’s Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF). Labayen is Estrada’s co-accused in the plunder case. She remains at large.

First tranche

Tuason then said she received a bag of money containing P1.5 million from Napoles’ office and delivered this first tranche of advance commissions to Estrada in his house at Greenhills.

“After receiving the money, I called up Senator Estrada and told him ‘I have money for you.’ I went to see him in his house in Greenhills, San Juan… I gave him the bag of money. I told him that was the advance commission for the project. He just said thank you. I didn’t stay long,” Tuason said.

After that, Tuason said she delivered to Estrada’s house another P4.2 million kickbacks which is part of the second tranche upon the release of the special allotment release order (SARO) from the budget department.

Days after, Estrada supposedly asked Tuason that he was backing out and that she should return the P5.7 million kickbacks he received in the first two tranches.

“Just a few days after that, he called me up and said he was cancelling the transaction. I was surprised. I asked him why (but) he didn’t give me any specific reason,” Tuason said.

Tuason later found out from another alleged agent Tet De Hoya that the said transaction apparently pushed through under a different agent, actor Matt Ranillo.
2008 deal

Tuason said she again dealt for Estrada in 2008 when they were reunited during the wake of Estrada’s close friend actor Rudy Fernandez.

Tuason said Estrada called her up and asked for Napoles’ number. She later noticed that Napoles had been attending Estrada’s parties, which made her believe that Estrada had been dealing with Napoles directly.

Asked how much Estrada earned in the different tranches in 2008, Tuason said she could not recall but she remembered that Estrada earned P19 million in commissions all in all.

Tuason said for the 2008 transaction, Tuason either went to Estrada’s house or at his office in the Senate to deliver kickbacks.

Personal delivery

Tuason said she personally went to Estrada’s Senate office and delivered a bag of kickbacks. She said Estrada’s aide from his office helped her carry the bag.

“I deliver it to the Senate. I will call the Senator and tell him I have something for you. I passed through the side where senators pass. Then I go to his office… We put the bag on the floor by his desk. He knows already why I’m there,” Tuason said.

At one point, Tuason said she met Estrada by car in the traffic outside Zirkoh Bar, which Estrada owns, in San Juan.

She said her and Estrada’s cars met up along the road before she personally handed to Estrada the bag of kickbacks through the car windows.

When the court asked her if she remembers the amounts of kickbacks per tranches in the 2008 transaction, Tuason said she could not and but that she knew at the time.

Tuason had already 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.

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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