Jinggoy to colleagues: Come clean on ties with Ruby

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Jinggoy Estrada yesterday challenged his colleagues to come clean on allegations that potential witness Ruby Tuason had secured commissions for pork barrel-related projects during their terms.

Estrada made the call as he reiterated before the plenary the need for the Senate security to review the chamber’s closed circuit TV footage to establish who Tuason visited when she went to the Senate.

Without naming names, Estrada hinted that other senators, including some from the administration, are close to Tuason.

He said he could prove that other senators were visited by Tuason in their offices.

“When I took the floor last week, I requested the Senate President or the Senate leadership to release all the CCTV footages (with) the presence of Mrs. Ruby Tuason on the sixth floor. Can you just include the fifth floor? Can you kindly monitor the presence of Mrs. Ruby Tuason at the fifth floor, maybe in the years 2010 onwards?” Estrada said.

The sixth floor of the Senate is where the offices of the Senate President, Majority Leader and Minority Leader are located.

Almost all other senators’ offices are on the fifth floor.

Estrada made the request for a review of CCTV recordings of the Senate in order to prove his point that Tuason never delivered any cash to his office.

Tuason claimed she delivered millions in cash, which she placed in bags, to Estrada’s office on two occasions in 2008.

Estrada said the only time Tuason went to his office was to bring trays of sandwiches and other snacks.

Estrada on Tuesday said Tuason has several other senator friends whom she visited in the Senate to ask for funding for projects using their pork barrel allocations.

“I have received information and I can support that that she had been asking our colleagues here, former colleagues and incumbent colleagues, for projects and she is peddling these too,” he said.

Campaign contributor

Some senators have reportedly enjoyed the company of Tuason, who had either helped with campaign contributions in the last elections or gave kickbacks out of pork barrel projects during their terms.

Sources revealed Tuason helped raise campaign funds for some senators, other higher officials in past elections, which is why some incumbent senators are wary about questioning her on her dealings in relation to the pork barrel.

Tuason had supposedly been offering to act as intermediary to get financial contributions during past electoral campaigns, such as the 2010 and 2013 elections.

“After soliciting cash donations for the electoral campaign of senators, she will at once get her commissions. That is how she manages to go around political and social circles,” the source said.

Two of the senators have recently retired but still have clout in the political scene, the source said.

Tuason was also reportedly fond of hosting dinners at her house in upscale Dasmariñas Village in Makati. On one occasion before the 2013 elections, Tuason hosted a dinner for two candidates, who eventually won in the senatorial race.

In 2010, sources added Tuason supported the bid of former President Joseph Estrada but switched to another presidential candidate to the dismay of some political stalwarts.

Sources expressed belief that Tuason also enjoyed the full backing of a big-time businessman who has become a known political patron of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The revelations came after Tuason’s credibility was placed in question when Estrada confronted Senate Blue Ribbon committee chairman Teofisto Guingona III over his supposed prejudgment against him and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who attended last Thursday’s inquiry into the pork barrel scam, raised a question on the apparent low turnout of senators when Tuason came to validate details of her affidavit submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman.

Put a deadline

Estrada took a swipe at some of his colleagues who would openly attack him as well as Enrile in media interviews and before the plenary session.

Estrada was apparently referring to Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who he said was saying one thing in front of the media and another when confronted over his statements.

In his speech Tuesday, Estrada said other senators also have dealings with Tuason, the former social secretary of his father, former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.

Estrada made the challenge following reports that six senators including Guingona met in a restaurant near Senate offices in Pasay City last Tuesday.

At least three senators present during the meeting maintained there was no agenda during the dinner other than mere “bonding” among colleagues. – Marvin Sy, Edu Punay