Jinggoy to Aquino: Respect SC, as I respect Ombudsman

MANILA, Philippines – Detained senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada used himself as an example in urging President Benigno Aquino III to respect the Supreme Court (SC) ruling declaring unconstitutional certain acts under the government’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

“Although they might not agree with the decision of the Supreme Court, they will just have to respect it. Ganoon din ang nangyari sa akin. (That’s also what happened to me.) Although I do not agree with what the Ombudsman did in filing charges against me here in Sandiganbayan, I will have to respect it. I will have to accept it,” he said in an ambush interview Tuesday, July 15, after his bail hearing at the Sandiganbayan.

“Ngayon andito ako. Hinaharap ‘yung kaso laban sa akin. (Now, here I am. I am facing the charges against me.) I am submitting myself to the rule of law,” he added.

The jailed senator was reacting to Aquino’s controversial speech Monday, July 14, where he criticized the SC justices for ruling against his administration’s spending program, which he insisted was not only legal but helped many poor communities.

Some sectors saw in that speech a threat to impeach the justices, something debunked by an Aquino ally in the House of Representatives, which has the sole power to impeach public officials.

Estrada’s DAP exposé

Estrada said there was a running joke that he should be admitted as a state witness for getting the ball rolling on the heightened public clamor to make DAP more transparent.

In September 2013, at the height of the pork barrel scam that led to the filing of charges against Estrada and other lawmakers, Estrada disclosed in a privilege speech that Senate President Franklin Drilon, in his former capacity as Senate finance committee chairman in 2012, facilitated the release of P50 million (about $1.1 million) to each senator in exchange for the conviction of then Chief Justice Renato Corona. The release happened after the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, declared Corona guilty and removed him from office in May 2012.

“Sabi lang ng iba dapat daw masama na ako sa Witness Protection Program dahil ako yung whistleblower ng DAP,” he said. (That was nothing. Some were just saying I should be accepted into the Witness Protection Program, because I was the whistleblower of the DAO [anomaly].)

He noted that it was Budget Secretary Butch Abad who disclosed to the public a day after his speech that the funds were coursed through DAP. “Si (As for) Secretary Abad, he was man enough to admit that it was from the DAP,” he said.

The indicted plunderer and opposition senator appeared before the court in a pinkish-red polo barong, donning a moustache and a slight beard he grew over weeks of detention at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center.

The court is hearing his plunder and graft cases over the alleged diversion of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to ghost projects of dubious non-governmental organizations controlled by alleged crook Janet Lim-Napoles.

Make COA accountable

The PDAF, a lump sum at the discretion of lawmakers for their community development pet projects, was declared unconstitutional by the SC in November 2013.

DAP, on the other hand, is a spending program initiative by the Aquino admnistration to pump-prime the economy. It allocates funds to fast-disbursing government projects, programs, and activities from the savings of slow-disbursing ones.

Warning against a possible clash between the judiciary and the executive branches of government, Estrada said there is no point in questioning the High Court.

He also slammed Commission on Audit (COA) Chairperson Grace Pulido-Tan for failing to audit under her watch the DAP.

Estrada said: “Dapat sa aking panananaw dapat managot din si Chairman Grace Pulido-Tan. Because the DAP has been in existence 2011 or 2012. Dapat in-audit na rin ng COA yung DAP,” he said. (In my personal view, Chairman Grace Pulido-Tan should be held liable. Because the DAP has been in existence 2011 or 2012. COA should have also audited DAP.)

“Tinanong ko sa sa kanya kung bakit hindi nila ino-audit yung DAP. Wala siyang mai-sagot,” he added. (I asked her why they were not auditing DAP. She couldn’t answer.)

An appointee of President Benigno Aquino III to the COA, Tan is rumored to be Aquino’s bet among the shortlisted nominees for Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice. – Rappler.com