Jinggoy feels 'singled out' in pork probe, cries 'injustice'

MANILA, Philippines - Embattled Senator Jinggoy Estrada denounced on Wednesday that he --along with Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon Revilla Jr.-- is being singled out in the investigation on the alleged pork barrel scam.

In his highly-anticipated privilege speech on the alleged pork barrel scam, Jinggoy criticized the media, the Commission on Audit (COA) and even his colleagues in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee for being "biased."

Estrada said they have been marked as the "worst thieves and scoundrels of government."

He said 356 congressmen, 15 senators, and 82 non-government organizations (NGOs) were mentioned in the COA special audit report on the pork barrel mess from 2007 to 2009.

But he said these are not being scrutinized as he claimed that the direction of the pork barrel probe seems to be limited to him, Enrile, Revilla, and the NGOs of Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged scam mastermind.

"Bakit kaming tatlo lang ang iniimbistigahan? There is a saying: selective justice is injustice," Estrada said in his televised speech.

In his speech, he also cited other irregularities involving the pork barrel that were mentioned in the COA report, but were not highly publicized by the media and in the Senate probe.

Other lawmakers too

Estrada said according to the COA report, some senators contributed to the total P1.2 billion in pork barrel that went to local government unit transactions that did not comply with procurement law.

He said these include Senators Alan Cayetano and Miriam Defensor-Santiago and former senators Kiko Pangilinan and Manny Villar.

"Bakit hindi nababanggit ang mga ito? Dahil ba sila ay inyong kaalyado? Pero hindi ko naman po sinasabi na sila ay nagkasala. Ito po ay base sa COA report na mayroon daw pong irregularities ang kanilang pinaglaanan na pondo," Estrada said.

Estrada also cited Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales and An Waray Partylist Rep. Florencio Noel, whose pork barrel reportedly went to questionable transactions.

"Ang akin pong mga nabanggit ay ilan lamang sa mga questionable transactions or irregularities indicated in the COA special report. At ang mga ito ay hindi sinasama sa kasalukuyang imbestigasyon," Estrada said.

Extra 'pork' after Corona conviction

Estrada also claimed that those who voted in favor of the conviction of former Chief Justice Renato Corona and the passage of the Reproductive Health and Sin Tax laws were alloted an extra P50-million pork barrel.

The senator said then finance committee chairperson Franklin Drilon provided the additional funds in a "private and confidential letter memorandum."

In response, Drilon said it is not true that the alleged additional funds were given as incentives for those who would convict Corona.

"I maintain that the Senators voted according to their conscience and their impartial evaluation of the evidence presented during the Coronal trial."

Estrada blasts COA report, chairperson

The senator also criticized COA chairperson Grace Pulido Tan and the special audit report for being "incomplete" and "selective."

Estrada questioned the coverage of the COA report and why Tan only relied on the the Department of Budget and Management.

He also hit the COA chief for releasing the special report to the media.

"Pati si COA chair Grace Pulido Tan ay sumali sa PDAF teleserye... Ito siguro ang pinakaunang pagkakataon na sa media inilabas ng COA ang kanilang audit. Ganito ba na ang kalakaran ngayon sa COA?"

According to Estrada, the COA report said the pork barrel allocation for soft projects from 2007 to 2009 amounted to more tan P29 billion, but the agency was only able to audit P8 billion.

He said the COA report was not a government-wide performance since it covered only three executive departments that acted as implementing agencies, five provinces, and nine local government units.

"Paano nila nasabi na government-wide ito? Obviously and pointedly selective and biased ang auidt na ito, hindi po ba?" Estrada asked.

He said the COA chief is "too lazy to do her job" or "ignorant" of the main function of her agency."

Estrada also blasted Tan for her "monthly" travels abroad.

"Chairman Pulido-Tan, gumising ka na! Mukhang lagi po kayong may jet-lag kaka-biyahe niyo sa ibang bansa," he said. "Gawin niyo po muna ng maayos ang inyong trabaho... Huwag po ang pag tra-travel sa ibang bansa ang inyong atupagin."

No answers to allegations

In his speech, Estrada did not specifically answer the allegations hurled against him and merely decried being "singled out."

But the senator said the recent events provide the government the chance to "do away with the pork barrel mentality."

"I believe that we all here are victims of a flawed system which is so ingrained that has been institutionalized," he said.

Estrada is facing plunder charges before the Office of the Ombudsman after being embroiled into the alleged multi-million-peso pork barrel scam supposedly masterminded by Napoles.

Aside from Estrada, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) also filed plunder cases against Enrile, Revilla and former representatives Rizalina Seachon-Lanet and Edgar Valdez.

A total of 33 more individuals, including Napoles and three former lawmakers, where also sued by the NBI for plunder and malversation of public funds.

The NBI claimed that Estrada and the four lawmakers committed plunder in conspiracy with Napoles and officials of implementing agencies when they each accumulated millions of pesos in kickbacks through a series of transactions over time involving their pork barrel.

The NBI said Estrada alone allegedly pocketed P183.79 million in kickbacks from the pork barrel channeled to the NGOs of Napoles.

Estrada has inhibited himself from the investigation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.