MANILA, Philippines - Amid moves by the Department of Justice to have his passport cancelled, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada left for the United States yesterday to consult doctors about his wife’s medical condition, but vowed to return to the country before the Senate resumes session on Nov. 18.
“No one can prevent me from returning to my country and I will continue my perfect attendance in the Senate,†Estrada told reporters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport before boarding an 11 a.m. Cathay Pacific flight for Hong Kong that would later take him to San Francisco.
Before he left, he joined his father, former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, and the rest of the Estrada family as they visited their departed relatives at the San Juan Cemetery.
His wife Precy has been diagnosed with a lump in her breast. Estrada said he would seek a second opinion in the US, as he noted that he brought with him her medical records. He said Precy is scheduled to follow him to the US on Nov. 8, along with their youngest child.
Estrada said they have an appointment with an American doctor in San Francisco on Nov. 4, but this would likely change as Precy would not be in the US on that date. He gave assurance that whatever the medical opinion would be, she would be treated here.
“They don’t need to worry about me. Whether the case against me is weak or strong, I will return and maintain my perfect attendance at the Senate,†he said, adding that he would be back before Senate sessions resume on Nov. 18.
Estrada used a regular passport when he went through immigration, noting that he would undergo too many process if he would use an official passport.
Immigration supervisor Geraldyn Austria told The STAR the senator is not included in their Look Out Bulletin, so they have no reason to stop him from leaving.
Apart from seeking treatment for his wife, Estrada said he was invited to an event of the Filipino community in Los Angeles, although he said he was not sure if he could attend it.
The senator had earlier announced his plan to go to the US but this was delayed due to what he claimed as difficulty in securing a ticket.
“I was looking for a cheap ticket,†he said.
His problems were compounded when Justice Secretary Leila de Lima requested the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to cancel his passport, along with those of Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. and Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile, due to their alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.
The DFA has yet to act on De Lima’s request, although it has asked Estrada to respond to it.
The senator said he is not worried about the possibility that his passport would be cancelled any time or between now and the date of his return later this month.
“They can cancel it, but nobody can prevent me from returning to my homeland,†he said, adding he had never run away from cases filed against him.
“Time and again, I have always said that I was born here, raised here and I will die here,†he said.
Estrada said he had always faced the cases filed against him and never gave anyone a reason to suspect that he is a flight risk.
He recalled that he left for the US during the impeachment trial of his father, when he was also facing plunder charges.
“During GMA’s time we never evaded arrest, why would I do it now?†he asked, referring to the former presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Estrada, Revilla and Enrile were among those accused by the DOJ and NBI for their alleged involvement in the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam.