Erap: Loi, Jinggoy can defend themselves vs. ‘pork’ scam allegations

Published December 26, 2013 9:45pm

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada expressed confidence that his wife, former senator Loi Estrada, and son, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, can themselves against allegations that they benefited from transactions with JLN Corporation, the company of supposed pork barrel scam operator Janet Lim Napoles.

“Both of them can defend themselves. Mahirap kung magiging trial by publicity ang mangyayari,” he said in a report aired on “24 Oras” Thursday evening.

GMA News reported Tuesday that newly-discovered payment vouchers submitted during a 2005 legal dispute between actor Mat Ranillo III and JLN Corp., in which Ranillo was sued for payment for a vehicle, indicate that Senator Jinggoy Estrada and the former first lady entered into transactions with the Napoles-owned company.

One of the JLN Corp. vouchers that Ranillo submitted to the court, dated August 11, 2005, said Senator Jinggoy Estrada received a "payment for 50 percent of P30 million rebate charge" worth P1.14 million.

Another voucher dated January 13, 2005 mentioned a "5 percent commission charge to Sen. Loi Estrada PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) DA (Department of Agriculture)" worth P475,000.

A third voucher dated December 12, 2005, meanwhile, cited a payment for "50 percent rebate/commission full payment of the commission charge to Sen. Loi Proj. (project)" worth P1.2 million.

According to the whistleblowers' legal counsel , Stephen Cascolar, the Ranillo documents provide material evidence in the controversial pork barrel case, in which lawmakers' discretionary funds were allegedly misused for kickbacks.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada, along with Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla and Juan Ponce Enrile, are among the lawmakers implicated in the pork barrel scam allegedly masterminded by Napoles.

The three, as well as Napoles, are facing plunder complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman. — Xianne Arcangel/JDS, GMA News

Tags: erapestrada, bantaykaban, jinggoyestrada, loiestrada