Tuason’s testimony strong enough to incriminate

MANILA, Philippines – Provisional state witness Ruby Tuason faces the Senate Thursday.

She drops incriminating information about Sen Jinggoy Estrada’s involvement in the pork barrel scam.
Ayee Macaraig reports.

RUBY TUASON, POTENTIAL STATE WITNESS: I was once willing to stand death row because of my trust in his family but I now side with the country.

Socialite Ruby Tuason turns her back on Senator Jinggoy Estrada, implicating her close family friend to the biggest corruption scandal.

For the first time a witness tells the Senate she was the “go-between” of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Napoles and two of the country’s highest officials. Tuason says Estrada initially did not want to deal with Napoles but the woman’s offer of 40% commission was too hard to resist. She got her own cut of 5% or less.

Tuason says in 2004 and 2008, she gave Estrada his kickbacks right at his San Juan home and Senate office.

RUBY TUASON, POTENTIAL STATE WITNESS: Mabigat po ang pera. (Money is heavy) I have something wrong with my spine. I delivered here in Senate, at least twice, used hand carry bag, may gulong. Pag medyo madami ang cash, we put it in duffel bag. Pag maliit, minsan sa bag lang, pag mga P2 millionlang. (If there’s a lot of cash, we put it in a duffel bag. If there’s not too much, if there’s just around P2 million, we just put it in a bag.)

She identifies Estrada’s two security aides who met her at the Senate basement to avoid inspection. Tuason responds to his claim that she only came forward because he rejected her request for money.

RUBY TUASON, POTENTIAL STATE WITNESS: I only wanted to see how far he would go. Akala ko matutulungan niya ako sa abogado. (I thought he would be able to help me get a lawyer.) After all, I just got a commission. He got the bulk. If I am the extortionist he claims me to be, why did I offer to return the assets?

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago calls Tuason a perfect state witness. She contrasts her eyewitness evidence with the denials of Estrada and her nemesis Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile.

MIRIAM DEFENSOR SANTIAGO, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: The Justice Secretary calls it slam dunk evidence, I call it bull’s eye evidence. Kitang-kita mo eh. Huling-huli mo eh. (You see it straight through.) Denial is blatant impotence. Blatant na, impotent pa. Lalo kung matanda na! (Not only is it blatant, it’s impotent! Especially if you’re old!)

While Tuason directly points to Estrada, she says she never talked to Enrile about his pork barrel. She only gave money to his former chief of staff Gigi Reyes at the Senate and restaurants.

Enrile’s critics try to pin him down.

ANTONIO TRILLANES IV, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: Alam ba ni Enrile mga transaksyon ninyo kay Gigi? (Did Enrile know about your transactions with Gigi?)

RUBY TUASON, POTENTIAL STATE WITNESS: Sa dami ho nito, siguro meron siyang inkling. (With the number of transactions we had, he must have had an inkling.)

ANTONIO TRILLANES IV, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: Inkling?! Yun ang sinasabi ko. I admire your courage pero nandiyan na kayo eh. (That’s what I’m saying. I admire your courage but you’re here now…)

RUBY TUASON, POTENTIAL STATE WITNESS: I can only presume Enrile knows transactions with Gigi.

ANTONIO TRILLANES IV, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: That’s good enough.

Tuason also says it was only her late brother, Remy Chan, who knew about the Malampaya fund scam.

Senators say Tuason’s testimony is strong enough to incriminate Estrada in what could be his second plunder case.
But without records, specific dates and amounts in Tuason’s testimony, the prosecution will have to work harder to ensure Estrada does not go scot free again.
Ayee Macaraig, Rappler. – Rappler.com