HIGHLIGHTS: Senator Jinggoy Estrada privilege speech – March 12, 2014

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Jinggoy Estrada will deliver a privilege speech Wednesday, March 12.

The senator is implicated as a key participant in the multi-billion peso pork barrel scam, along with Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Bong Revilla. The case’s principal witness Benhur Luy says Estrada is one of the lawmakers who funnelled their government issued pork barrel funds to fake NGOs via alleged mastermind Janet Lim Napoles. On September 16, 2013, the justice department filed plunder charges against Estrada, as well as Enrile and Revilla. (READ: Plunder complaints vs Estrada, JPE, Revilla)

In response, Estrada, Enrile an Revilla have repeatedly denied being a part of the scam.

Testifying before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee on March 6, 2014, latest provisional witness Dennis Cunanan provides further information against Estrada and Revilla. The former Technology Resource Center chief says their Priority Development Assistance Fund documents showed the same typographical errors. Senator Miriam Santiago sees this as evidence of a conspiracy. (READ: Collusion? Same typo in senators’ PDAF docs)

Confessed pork barrel scam conduit Ruby Tuason told the Senate last February 13 she handed over kickback money to Estrada within the Senate premises. (WATCH: AS IT HAPPENS: Tuason testifies at the Senate)

Watch Senator Estrada’s speech below.

Watch the session’s whole proceedings below, including an exchange between Estrada and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.

– Rappler.com