Jinggoy: Tuason peddled PDAF deals to other senators

MANILA, Philippines – “Aside from the office of Senator Enrile and my office, who were the other senators [Ruby Tuason] visited? Why didn’t you even bother to ask her about it?”

Senator Jinggoy Estrada confronted Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Teofisto “TG” Guingona III with this question on Tuesday, February 18, to stress his allegation that Guingona had prejudged Estrada’s guilt in the pork barrel scam.

It sparked a heated exchange between the two.

Estrada interpellated Guingona, who delivered a privilege speech denying that he prejudged Estrada’s guilt at the start of the Senate hearing last Thursday. Guiongona, who chairs the investigating committee, commented that Ruby Tuason’s testimony would be a “3-point, buzzer-beater, winning shot,” even before the self-confessed bagman could testify.

Guingona did not apologize for the comment nor acknowledged any lapse in how he handled the investigation.

Yet the focus shifted from Guingona’s explanation to Estrada’s claim that there are more lawmakers that  Tuason supposedly approached.

“I am really surprised why she only mentioned me and Attorney Gigi Reyes in her affidavit when she has a lot of senator-friends na pinupuntahan din niya, na hihingan din niya ng proyekto para sa PDAF,” Estrada said.

(I am really surprised why she only mentioned me and Attorney Gigi Reyes in her affidavit when she has a lot of senator-friends she goes to and asks PDAF projects from.)

The senator was referring to the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) after Tuason admitted that she handed commissions meant for PDAF projects to Estrada and lawyer Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, who supposedly accepted the cut of Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile.

“So the issue here is whether she’s lying or not because I received information and I can support that, that she’s been asking former colleagues and incumbent colleagues here for projects at inilalako din niya. Bakit ‘di ninyo ‘tinanong? Bakit kaming dalawa lang ni Senator Enrile ang napapahamak dito sa kanyang testimonya?”

(Why didn’t you ask her about it? Why is it only Senator Enrile and I are implicated in her testimony?)

Drilon, colleagues intervene 

Guingona responded that Tuason denied knowing other senators, and Estrada should address his question to Tuason instead.

The chairman asked, “What do you want to happen?”

Estrada shot back, “What’s happening here is you already prejudged us.”

Guingona said, “No, no.”

The two began raising their voices and speaking at the same time, prompting Senate President Franklin Drilon to suspend the session. Session was suspended for about an hour, as senators tried to break the tension. 

When session resumed, Estrada said Drilon asked him “not to prolong the debates since it might become personal.” He said he granted Drilon’s request “as a statesman.” He added that he had a “lengthy” talk with Guingona. 

“I think he is aware of all the sentiments I mentioned to him and all I advised to him and all I requested is to have a fair committee hearing in the blue ribbon. I also advised him not to prejudge the outcome of the hearing and to refrain from making statements that tend to influence the outcome of the hearing,” Estrada said. 

Guingona said, “Well-taken, Mr President.” 

Estrada, Enrile, and Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr face a plunder complaint for allegedly funneling their PDAF to alleged scam mastermind Janet Napoles’ fake non-governmental organizations. The 3 supposedly got millions of pesos in kickbacks for endorsing the NGOs.

Tuason is their co-respondent in the same complaint now pending with the Ombudsman. 

‘I disagree, not bereft of details’ 

In his privilege speech and the interpellation, Guingona insisted that he did not intend to prejudge Estrada.

Guingona said the “3-point shot” comment was his “personal opinion.”

Guingona told Estrada: “Since you brought it up, it’s very, very weighty, the testimony of Mrs Tuason, because, as I said before, this is the first time a senator, a witness said that ‘I personally handed money to a senator.’ I said this has weight.”

Yet Estrada insisted that Tuason’s testimony was “practically empty,” devoid of details like the amounts she allegedly gave him and his street address in Greenhills, San Juan, where she supposedly made one of the cash deliveries.

Guingona responded: “I disagree with you when you say it’s empty. She remembers going down to the parking lot, [the] faces of two staff members. I don’t think that’s bereft of details. Of course, she doesn’t remember the amounts, that was 2008. What year is it now? 2014.”

“I don’t think anybody of us remembers how much they spent in one day in 2008. Sure. But she remembers the experience of giving over money to a senator, not once, not twice, not thrice, but many times in several places, so it’s not bereft of details. On the contrary, there are details there.”

Estrada said Tuason was lying, and that Guingona just accepted her testimony as “gospel truth.”

‘Just work, nothing personal’

In his privilege speech before the exchange with Estrada, Guingona said he did not mean to conclude that Estrada was guilty. 

“The words I used were not meant to judge the guilt or innocence of anyone. I used those words to illustrate the possible importance of the testimony under investigation of the committee. Let me assure you as well as our colleagues that to, ‘prejudge’ has never been my intention,” he said.

Guingona said he was aware that the work of the committee was “extremely difficult,” especially in the pork barrel scam investigation where 3 of his colleagues are allegedly involved.

“Anupaman ang hirap ng tungkuling ito, maaasahan ninyo, na trabaho lang po at walang personalan.” (No matter how difficult this task is, you can expect it is just work and nothing personal.)

Guingona used the same word Estrada chose in his manifestation, but denied that the “battle” was between the two of them.

“I believe that there is a battle we must all fight together – as one. And this, Mr President, is the battle to restore our people’s trust in the Senate of the Republic of the Philippines.” – Rappler.com