Jinggoy expects no fair treatment from Ombudsman

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Jinggoy Estrada yesterday said he does not expect to be given fair treatment by the Office of the Ombudsman.

After repeatedly asking for copies of the affidavits submitted by the whistle-blowers and other witnesses in the pork barrel scam complaint, the ombudsman finally granted Estrada his request on Thursday.

But this was only after he filed a motion for certiorari before the Supreme Court where he argued that he was denied due process by the Office of the Ombudsman which had ignored his request for the documents.

In an interview over dwIZ, Estrada said that he was given a non-extendible period of five days to reply to the affidavits given to him.

“If we will answer the affidavits to refute the allegations against us by the whistle-blowers such as Mrs. (Ruby) Tuason, Dennis Cunanan and the others, do you think they will reconsider our reply when she has been granted immunity by the Ombudsman? How can they act on our reply?” Estrada said, referring mainly to the former social secretary of his father, ex-President Joseph Estrada.

Tuason was allegedly the bagman for Senators Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile in their Priority Development Assistance Fund transactions with alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. Ramon Revilla Jr. is the third senator implicated in the scam.

“Now if the ombudsman will have an open mind to reconsider the grant of immunity to Mrs. Tuason, then that is fair. If they will turn a blind eye and insist on the grant of immunity to Mrs. Tuason, then there is no justice for me,” he added.