FILE PHOTO: Senator Jinggoy Estrada with his counsel in one of the hearings at Sandiganbayan (UNTV News)
In Tuesday’s bail hearing of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada at the Sandiganbayan 5th division, a manager from China Bank faced the court to testify against the senator.
Bank manager Manuel Yap confirmed that Estrada opened a dollar bank account in 2008.
They provided a copy of the bank statements and transactions to the anti-money laundering council which facilitated an investigation on the accounts of the senator allegedly linked to the pork barrel scam.
According to the AMLC report, Estrada did not declare in his SALN the deposited money in his dollar account from September 2008 until May 2010.
When the said account was closed, it contained 13 million pesos.
If this money will be added to the contents of other nine bank accounts, it appears that there is an 800% under declaration in his SALN.
But according to the senator, the report by China Bank will not have a bearing in his case,”It is irrelevant, impertinent and immaterial to this case.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said he agrees on the counter state of the nation address or kontra SONA delivered by Vice President Jejomary Binay yesterday.
The senator said, Binay’s SONA is realistic because it is based on facts and figures.
He also believes Budget Sec. Butch Abad should be held liable for the unconstitutionality of the Disbursement Acceleration Program or DAP.
He added that Abad should not be excused from charges just because he happens to be a cabinet member.
Estrada also agreed with the recognition given by Binay to the SAF44, which president Benigno Aquino III failed to mention in his last SONA.