Jinggoy dares prosecution: Present big-time witnesses Luy, Tuason

Confident that he will soon be granted bail, detained Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Tuesday dared government prosecutors to present their main witnesses who will supposedly directly link him to the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam.

 

“I’m pretty confident that I will be granted bail kaya lang masyadong dine-delay ng prosecution yung mga ibang witnesses,” Estrada told reporters after the hearing on his petition for bail.

 

“Sana i-present nila ang malalakas na testigo na sinasabi nila, si (Benhur) Luy saka si Ruby Tuason, for the court to determine if I will be given bail or not,” he added.

 

Luy, a relative and former employee of alleged pork barrel scam brains Janet Lim-Napoles, is the principal whistleblower in the case. On the other hand, Tuason, former social secretary of Jinggoy's father, former President Joseph Estrada, was supposedly the one who personally handed to the younger Estrada his kickbacks in the scam.

 

In hurling the challenge to the prosecution, Jinggoy said the other witnesses listed by the prosecution have no probative value.

 

“Yung ibang witnesses kasi, wala naman sasabihin yun eh, walang sasabihing bago. At least yung mas malakas na witness nila para mae-expedite na yung hearing. Syempre time in jail is time wasted, matagal na eh,” he said.

Previous plunder case

 

In 2001, Jinggoy was detained at Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna for allegedly conspiring with his father to amass billions of ill-gotten wealth from jueteng operations and kickbacks from tobacco excise taxes.

 

After filing several motions for bail, the Sandiganbayan finally granted Jinggoy's appeal in 2003 and he was ordered to post P500,000 for his temporary liberty.

 

The younger Estrada was acquitted by the Sandiganbayan for these plunder charges in 2007. His father was convicted of the crime but was pardoned by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

 

The senator added that Ombudsman investigator Vic Escalante was not able to directly link him to the pork barrel scam.

 

“Wala naman siya nalalaman that I amassed more than P50 million. Kahit piso wala naman siyang nalalaman na meron akong tinanggap as kickback or whatever,” Jinggoy said.

Beneficiaries

 

During the hearing, Escalante said they went to the provinces where the supposed projects funded by the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of Estrada were implemented. He said local officials and residents in the area denied receiving projects from the senator.

 

He said some of the people listed as beneficiaries in the project were already dead while others were not residents in the area. A father of one of the beneficiaries also said his son is only one year and seven months old.  

 

When asked by the senator’s counsel, lawyer Sabino Acot Jr., if he has personal knowledge that Estrada received money, utilized funds, implemented the projects, or has participation in the issuance of budget documents, Escalante replied in the negative.

 

When asked by Napoles’ counsel, lawyer Stephen David, on what was the basis of the Ombudsman in crafting the complaint, Escalante said it was the testimonies of the whistleblowers, particularly Luy and Marina Sula.

 

David asked if the Ombudsman took Luy’s testimony as gospel truth, Escalante said they did not and in fact that is the reason they conducted field interviews and verification.

 

David then asked the Ombudsman investigator why they did not include in the charge sheet a certain Aljerone Benito who signed a delivery receipt.

 

Escalante said it was because Luy claimed that Benito is his (Luy's) friend and the latter’s name was just used as a trustee of the non-government organization involved in the scam.

 

David asked why the Ombudsman did not investigate the background of Luy and his family. He claimed that had government investigatos looked deeper, they will find out that Luy and his family own lands or real properties under their name.

 

Escalante said Luy and Sula were at the behest of Napoles and acting on her behalf.  He, however, said he did not find the name of Napoles in any documents they gathered in connection with the case.

 

He also said that they did not recommend the filing of charges against John Raymund de Asis, Napoles’ driver.

 

The prosecutors said there were other investigators who recommended that De Asis be charged . De Asis, still at-large, is also facing plunder and graft charges.

 

Estrada and his camp believed the statement of Escalante will work to their advantage.

 

“When he was under cross-examination, walang sinasabi yung witness na ako'y tumaggap ng pera. Maliwanag na tinatanong siya kung may nagdeliver ng pera sa ‘kin. Wala siyang nalalaman. Lahat ng tinanong sa kanya ng defense counsel, wala siyang nalalaman. So panay hearsay evidence lang pinipresenta ng prosecution,” he said.

 

For his part, the elder Estrada said after the hearing: “All hearsay so there is no damage at all.” — RSJ, GMA News