Senator Jose Pimentel Ejercito, Jr., popularly known as Sen. Jinggoy Estrada (UNTV News)
QUEZON CITY, Philippines — It has been eleven months since the hearing of Senator Jinggoy’s motion to bail for his plunder case started.
Estrada said he is confident that up to now the prosecution has not yet presented any strong evidence that will prove him guilty of allegedly pocketing pork barrel funds worth billions of pesos.
“I’m confident 100 percent mapapagbigyan ako sa piyansa dahil up to now, they haven’t presented any strong evidence against me, any strong witness against me.”
(I’m confident 100 percent that i will be granted bail because up to now, they haven’t presented any strong evidence against me, or any strong witness against me.)
This morning, Orlando Negradas testified and was cross examined by the defense lawyers during the continuation of Estrada’s bail hearing.
One of the anti-money laundering council bank officers who investigated the bank accounts of Estrada said, the request letter of the ombudsman prompted them to conduct investigation on the bank transactions of the senator.
According to the senator’s lawyer, Atty. Alexis Suarez, this proves that there were really no suspicious transactions on the bank accounts of Estrada.
“If you see the bank transactions alone, there were no anomalies that will be presented from the bank transactions and so those anomalies that trigger the investigation by the AMLC, all came from the letter of the ombudsman, that’s the point we want to get from the witness.”
The senator also insisted that the money in his account came from legitimate transactions.
“That means, I did not launder any money, from the government. All my savings are legitimate income.”
Estrada believes he will be acquitted from all the charges filed against him though he said his case proceedings are delayed.
Estrada also submitted a comment and warned the prosecution on their allegation that the senator was the one who caused the delay.
Estrada said he is doing everything to speed up the proceeding so the court can decide and make a resolution about his temporary detention at the PNP Custodial Center. (ROSALIE COZ / UNTV News)