Jinggoy to Appeal Ombudsman’s Decision on Plunder Raps

Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Wednesday said he will appeal the decision to file plunder charges against him over the alleged pork barrel controversy, Gma News Online reported.

Reports said that in a television interview, Senator Estrada said he will file a motion for reconsideration before the Office of the Ombudsman on Monday next week, although he earlier called the Office of the Ombudsman’s investigation a “moro-moro”.

Estrada said he is pessimistic about this move.

“Maghahain na po kami sa darating na Lunes sapagkat natanggap na po ng aking abogado ang joint resolution na nanggaling po sa Ombudsman. Siyempre ine-expect ko na ibabasura nila iyon. Pero siyempre, we will exert all legal remedies,” the senator said.

The Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday announced that it has decided to charge Senators Estrada, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile with plunder over the pork barrel scam.

Estrada reportedly belittled it as an “April Fools’ Day operation.”

Estrada added that even before the recommendations were made, he did not fully trust the Ombudsman’s deliberations on the plunder charge. “Alam naman namin na moro-moro na lang iyan. Kaya ito na nga ang nangyari. Mukha talagang [minadali] ang kaso laban sa amin. It took them only six months to read voluminous documents,” he said.

In 2001, Estrada faced a plunder case before the Sandiganbayan for allegedly conspiring with his father, former President Joseph Estrada, in amassing billions of ill-gotten wealth from ‘jueteng’ operations and kickbacks from tobacco excise taxes.

In 2007, the Sandiganbayan acquitted Senator Estrada in his plunder case but his father was convicted.

Revilla’s Camp

Reports said Revilla’s camp had also earlier signified its intention to appeal the Ombudsman’s decision. Enrile, meanwhile, has yet to make a statement on the matter, report said.

Revilla’s lawyer, Joel Bodegon, in a separate interview Wednesday, called the Ombudsman’s decision on the plunder raps against his client as an insult to the Supreme Court.

The lawyer said the Ombudsman should have let the SC decide first on Revilla’s petition contesting the plunder complaint, report said.

“Ang tingin ng Ombudsman ay magiging moot and academic ang aming posisyon sa Supreme Court, na isang malaking kamalian… Hindi po napatay ng resolution na iyan ng issue sa SC, iyong issue ng prejudicial question. Ang ginawa ng Ombudsman ay malaking kamalian at insulto sa SC,” Bodegon said in GMA News’ “Unang Balita.”

‘Grave Abuse of Discretion’

In his petition before the Supreme Court, Revilla argued that the Ombudsman committed grave abuse of discretion when it went on with the preliminary investigation on his plunder complaint, without waiting for the resolution of a separate civil complaint he had filed with the Bacoor City Regional Trial Court in Cavite.

The civil case, filed by Revilla against pork barrel scam whistleblowers last year, seeks to nullify documents presented by the witnesses to the government, which were supposedly forged, report said. The high court will hold oral arguments on Revilla’s plea in Baguio City.

Senators Enrile, Estrada and Revilla are being accused of pocketing the kickbacks from the pork barrel scam, allegedly masterminded by detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles. The Senators earlier denied these allegations.

Source: Gma News Online

Image Credit: www.mb.com.ph