CCTV recordings of Ruby Tuason's Senate visits released

MANILA, Philippines - Which office did potential state witness Ruby Chan Tuason visit at the sixth floor of the Senate building in 2008? Did she bring kickbacks from the pork barrel fund or merely brought snacks to the senators’ offices?

These questions cropped up after the CCTV camera recordings of the Senate showed that Tuason visited the Senate at least thrice in the last quarter of 2008 or at around the time when she claimed to have delivered kickbacks to Sen. Jinggoy Estrada at his office.

The Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) headed by retired major general Jose Balajadia has submitted its official report on the CCTV footage indicating that Tuason visited some senators in 2008 at the time when she supposedly brought kickbacks from the Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) scam, allegedly masterminded by Janet Lim Napoles.

In his memorandum, Balajadia said that the initial report was in compliance with the order of the Blue Ribbon committee, which is conducting an inquiry into the pork barrel scam.

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“This is to respectfully inform you that we have finished the review of the CCTV footage for the last quarter of 2008 (October, November and December). Based on the CCTV footage review of the ground floor and 6th floor of the Senate building, we have seen a lady that resembles Ms. Ruby Tuason (based on our file photograph),” Balajadia said in his memorandum.

Balajadia reported that Tuason visited the Senate twice in November and once in December of 2008. The dates of the visits were recorded on November 17 and 19 and December 18.

On Nov. 17, 2008, Tuason was seen walking along the Senate main lobby area, exiting the sixth floor area and walking away from the sixth floor elevator.

Another footage showed Tuason exiting the sixth floor the elevator area at about 2:33 p.m. on November 19 and leaving the Senate building through the main lobby at 4:49 p.m.

The Senate Sgt-at-Arms also mentioned in its report that Tuason was spotted in the CCTV files entering the Senate main lobby at the ground floor at 3:42 p.m. on Dec. 18, 2008. She also secured a visitor’s ID from the OSAA station post at the main lobby. She also went up to the sixth floor as seen in the CCTV footage.

The offices of the Senate president, Senate president pro-tempore, majority leader and minority leader -- top officers of the Senate-- are located on the sixth floor of the Senate of the Philippines building within the GSIS compound in Pasay City.

Sources said Tuason was spotted to be escorted by staff members of some senators who were seen either beside her or walking with her during her visits to the Senate.

It can be recalled that it was Estrada who challenged the Senate leadership under Senate President Franklin Drilon to produce the CCTV footage wherein Tuason supposedly went to the Senate.

In her testimony before the Blue Ribbon committee last February 13, Tuason claimed she delivered kickbacks to Estrada at his Senate office sometime in 2008.

Estrada has vehemently denied Tuason’s claims, saying he knew Tuason since she is a family friend and the former appointments secretary of his father, former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.

The senator was scheduled to deliver a privilege speech at 3 p.m. today, where he is expected to mention the CCTV recordings.