'PDAF scam'-linked Estrada, Revilla hit past admin in campaign kickoff

MANILA, Philippines — Senatorial hopefuls Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla both mentioned their time in jail during the campaign launch of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago coalition in San Fernando, Pampanga on Tuesday.

The two former senators, along with former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, were detained for their supposed involvement in the multimillion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund scam, also called the pork barrel scam.

Speaking before the crowd, Estrada claimed that they are innocent and that the accusations against them were baseless.

Former senator Bong Revilla tells the crowd in San Fernando, Pampanga: "Akala ko hindi niyo na ako mahal" @PhilippineStar pic.twitter.com/iXNsaakIgd

— Paolo S. Romero (@PaoloSRomero) February 12, 2019

Former senator Jinggoy Estrada raises the hand of his reelectionist half-brother Sen. JV Ejercito at the campaign rally of Hugpong ng Pagbabago for its senatorial bets in San Fernando, Pampanga @PhilippineStar pic.twitter.com/wng772S2z2

— Paolo S. Romero (@PaoloSRomero) February 12, 2019

"Alam niyo naman pinagbakasyon kami ng nakaraang administrasyon dahil sa walang basehan kaso na pinaratang sa amin. Kami po ay napag-initan ng nakaraang administrasyon," Estrada said, referring to the Aquino administration.

(You know we were 'made to go on vacation' by the past administration over baseless cases thrown against us. We were targetted by the past administration)

Estrada was granted bail in September 2017 after three years in detention at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center. The plunder case against him remains pending after the Supreme Court upheld the ombudsman’s plunder indictment of the former senator.

RELATED: Jinggoy hopeful Revilla’s acquittal will yield same result for his plunder case

Revilla, on the other hand, pointed out that he was jailed for almost five years. The actor-turned-senator also insisted that he was innocent as he was recently acquitted.

"Four years six months po ako nakakulong, one year akong dinurog sa media (I was in jail for four years and six months. I was villified on media for a year)," Revilla said.

On Dec. 7, 2018, the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan acquitted Revilla of plunder but ordered him to return P124.5 million to the National Treasury.

The ruling on Revilla's case was the first since the pork barrel scam was first exposed in 2013.

"December 7 nung lumabas ang katotohanan na-acquit ang iyong lingkod na wala po akong kasalanan sa mga ibinintang sa akin nung nakaraang administrasyon," Revilla said.

The Sandiganbayan First Division ruled that Revilla cannot be held liable for plunder as the prosecution failed to prove that he "received, directly or indirectly the rebates, commission and kickbacls from his PDAF." — Patricia Lourdes Viray

RELATED: Ombudsman prosecutors urge court to order Revilla to pay in PDAF case