VIDEO: What motivates Ruby Tuason?

MANILA, Philippines – What motivates Ruby Tuason? 

Before Ruby Tuason appeared in the Senate on Thursday, February 13, speculations flew about the value of her testimony. Is she a key witness or a trojan horse that will weaken the prosecution’s case? 

The hearing provided clues to her frame of mind, and even her inner demons. She told senators, “There was a Church I found which was open 24 hours a day. I found myself going there everyday. I was crying all the time. I was so ashamed of myself, I could not believe what I did, I felt so guilty,” she said in a mix of Filipino and Englsih.

Tuason added: “I felt like Judas Iscariot, this is how Judas Iscariot must have felt. I said, I may not be able to stand this for long.” 

Unlike Napoles who was tight-lipped and evasive during her appearance at the Senate, Tuason was candid about her passions and her fears. She admitted burning her husband’s expensive designer shoes and suits when she found out about his dalliances.

The woman whom senators called “sophisticated” and a “socialite” said she didn’t want to be hated by Filipinos. “I don’t want to die with 80 million Filipinos hating me. I don’t want to die with my grandchildren being ashamed of me.”

Tuason acknowledged that righting a wrong required sacrifice. She said, again mixing her Filipino and English, “When I saw that (Haiyan/Yolanda davastation) I felt weak with shame. I have to do something about it. I went to Church every day asking for forgiveness, but it can’t be all just lip-service. I think I have to do something, I have to sacrifice something.”

Talking to Senator Grace Poe, Tuason said her main fault is sacrificing her values for friendship – a common Filipino trait that values good relations and loyalty over honesty and ethics.

During her opening statement, Tuason was frank about not wanting to languish in jail. “Though there is truth in my desire to not live the rest of my life in jail, my actions have proven that I also will do the best for this country.”

Self-preservation or altruism? Probably both. – Rappler.com