Jinggoy seeks furlough to administer daughter’s oath of office

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Detained senator Jinggoy Estrada has asked the Sandiganbayan to allow him to administer the oath of office of his daughter Janella Ejercito, who won as San Juan vice mayor in the recent polls.

In his motion filed before the antigraft court’s fifth division, Estrada asked for leave to attend Ejercito’s oath of office on June 28, 8 p.m. on Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City.

He asked the court to attend the event at his own expense and with the usual security escorts.

He said it was his duty as father to administer his daughter’s oath of office.

“Considering the importance and significance of this event, it will be a father’s duty, obligation and more importantly, his pride if he will be the one to administer the oath of office to his daughter,” Estrada’s motion said.

“This may very well be his last official act as senator of the Philippines,” the motion added.

He also asked the court’s nod to attend the special gathering of his family and constituents after Ejercito’s oath of office at the same venue, which will last until 2 a.m. on June 29.

Estrada is accused of plunder for allegedly receiving P183 million kickbacks from his Priority Development Assistance Funds which were allegedly spent in ghost projects for kickbacks through the bogus foundations of accused mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

He was denied bail, and remains in police custody with coaccused Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center.

Another accused, the elderly Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, was allowed by the Supreme Court to post bail due to humanitarian considerations.

Estrada was also accused of 11 counts of graft for violating Section 3(e) of the antigraft law for allegedly causing injury to government and giving undue preference to the following Napoles’ bogus organizations Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation and Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation.

He has sought dismissal of his graft cases for being redundant in the plunder charge.