Ruby Tuason visited Senate in 2008, CCTV footage shows

(Updated 9:46 p.m.) Government witness Ruby Tuason visited the Senate in November and December 2008, closed circuit television footage released by the Senate sergeant-at-arms on Wednesday showed.

The CCTV footage—captured on November 17 and 19, 2008, and December 18, 2008—showed Tuason carrying a handbag on the Senate's sixth floor, where Senator Jinggoy Estrada's office is located.

The findings by Senate security officials supported Tuason's testimony before the blue ribbon committee last month, where she recalled visiting Estrada's office in 2008.

Tuason is being groomed as state witness in the P10-billion pork barrel scam, in which Estrada is one of three senators implicated. The others are Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr.

No trays of sandwiches were seen in the CCTV footage, contrary to Estrada's claim that Tuason delivered snacks and not money to his office.

In a privilege speech during Wednesday's session, however, Estrada noted how the dates of Tuason's visits captured by the Senate CCTV do not support dates of supposed pork barrel transactions cited by the witness in her affidavit.

"Pansinin po natin ang mga petsa—March 06, 2008, September 17, 2008, October 16, 2008, at October 28, 2008. 'Yan daw po ang mga petsa na nakakuha ako diumano ng komisyon sa pamamagitan niya. Malamang ito na rin ang mga petsang palababasin nilang nagdeliver si Mrs. Tuason sa aking opisina," Estrada said in his speech. — KBK/BM, GMA News