'So be it': Jinggoy Estrada ready to face plunder, malversation cases
At A Glance
- Senator Jinggoy Estrada said he is ready to face the plunder and malversation cases that the Office of the Ombudsman is poised to file against him.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada said on Tuesday, May 26 he is ready to face the plunder and malversation cases that the Office of the Ombudsman is poised to file against him.
“If this is the price that I have to pay for standing on my own principles and what I believe in. So be it,” Estrada said.
Asked what his legal remedies would be, Estrada said he would consult his legal counsel on the matter.
“We have to consult my lawyers about it,” he said.
Earlier, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla announced that he will sign the resolution ordering the filing of plunder and malversation cases against Estrada.
The cases stemmed from the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) recommendation of plunder, graft and bribery cases against Estrada, Sen. Joel Villanueva and other former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials in connection with government flood control anomalies.
Asked if politics could be the reason behind the filing of the cases before the Ombudsman, Estrada said: “Kayo na lang bahala manghula (It’s up to you to guess).”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” he said.
Still, Estrada said he will continue to fulfill his mandate and work in the Senate.
He, nevertheless, denied the allegations, insisting on the findings of the Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office (LBRMO).
“As far as I know, the LBRMO says I don’t have any (budget) insertion as they say,” he pointed out.
“What Brice Hernandez said at the House (of Representatives) that I had made insertions, was debunked by the LBRMO, saying they see no record that I made any insertion,” he reiterated.