No intention to prejudge senators in ‘pork’ probe – TG Guingona

Published February 18, 2014 3:45pm

(Updated 4:40 p.m.) Senator Teofisto "TG" Guingona III on Tuesday denied prejudging any of his collegues in the Senate blue ribbon committee's hearing on the alleged P10-billion "pork barrel" scam.

"For the record, I have no intention of prejudging the guilt or innocence of any of our peers allegedly involved in this issue. The transcripts of these hearings will bear this fact," Guingona, who heads the blue ribbon committee, said in a privilege speech.

He added that calling witness Ruby Tuason's testimony a "three-point shot" was not an attribution of guilt to anyone.

"The phrase was used to underscore the possible impact and value of the testimony of the witness, hindi panghusga sa pagiging may sala o inosente ninuman," he said.

Guingona added said he was saddened by the fact that some of his colleagues are questioning his capacity to handle the Senate probe on the pork barrel scam.

"Isang hamon ang paghahahanap ng katotohanan, lalo na kung sangkot ang interes ng taumbayan ... Nakalulungkot na sa puntong ito, ang pagdududa sa kakayahan natin ay manggaling mismo sa kasamahan natin," he said.

To end his speech, Guingona used a popular movie quote: "Trabaho lang, walang personalan."

On Monday, Senator Jinggoy Estrada criticized Guingona on the Senate floor for supposedly prejudging his alleged involvement in the anomaly.

'Gospel truth'

After Guingona's speech, Estrada rose up and questioned why Guingona accepted Tuason's testimony as "gospel truth."

"Di ba ho before you conclude, you have to consider other pieces of evidence?" Estrada said while interpellating Guingona.

Estrada also maintained that Tuason's testimony was "empty" and "all generalizations."

Tuason earlier testified during a Senate blue ribbon hearing that she personally delivered bagfuls of money to Estrada supposedly from kickbacks in the pork scam.

Guingona, however, countered Estrada's statement, saying Tuason provided testimony that can help the blue ribbon committee in its quest for truth.

"I disagree na walang laman. She remembers going [to the] basement, the faces of the staff. Of course, she does not remember the amounts because who among us here remember how much we spent years ago... It [Tuason's testimony] is not bereft of details," Guingona said.

During the interpellation, Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto III proposed that the Senate blue ribbon committee "focus on the scam," and leave the judgment of guilt of any senator to the Senate ethics committee.

The Senate has yet to form its ethics panel, which is in charge of disciplining its own members. — Andreo Calonzo/RSJ, GMA News

Tags: bantaykaban, teofistoguingonaiii, tgguingona, jinggoyestrada