MANILA – Sen. Jinggoy Estrada will finally be compelled to defend himself in court after the Sandiganbayan rejected his latest bid to junk the plunder and graft charges against him in the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam involving Janet Lim-Napoles.
In a resolution by its Special Fifth Division, the anti-graft court found that government prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence to proceed with Estrada’s trial, stressing that the repeated pattern of his actions established a strong basis for a potential guilty verdict.
“Indeed, to the court’s mind, the frequency and recurrence of his above actions, along with the totality of the evidence adduced by the prosecution and extant in the record, undoubtedly establishes a prima facie case to sustain a verdict of guilt against him at this point of the trial,” read the ruling signed by Chairperson Zaldy V. Trespeses and Associate Justices Maryann E. Corpus-Manalac and Maria Theresa V. Mendoza-Arcega.
The ruling bars Estrada from relying on his earlier demurrer to evidence, obliging him to present his defense when hearings resume on October 2.
The development comes as Estrada is also facing fresh allegations of pocketing a 30 percent commission from a P300-million flood-control project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Sen. Joel Villanueva has likewise been dragged into the controversy over the supposed release of funds amounting to P600 million.
Estrada has maintained that the case is weak, insisting there is no proof that he knew of the Napoles scheme, personally met with co-accused, or engaged with whistleblowers.
But the Sandiganbayan underscored otherwise, pointing to the testimony of Ruby Tuason, a former aide of ex-president Joseph Estrada, who recalled meetings with the senator, his awareness of the racket as early as 2004, and the delivery of cash payoffs.
Whistleblower Benhur Luy also testified on Estrada’s endorsement letters transmitted through aide Pauline Labayen, who remains at large.
Apart from testimonies, the tribunal highlighted documentary evidence showing Estrada repeatedly naming specific implementing agencies and endorsing Napoles-linked NGOs to funnel his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
“The prosecution stresses that accused Estrada frequently requested that his PDAF allocation be released to the IAs (implementing agencies) involved in these cases. Once the IAs received his PDAF, accused Estrada likewise endorsed, again and again, the NGOs of accused Napoles to the IAs, which in turn, promptly released his PDAF to the said NGOs, based solely on the said endorsements,” the court stressed.
With the ruling, Estrada — once accused of pocketing P200 million in kickbacks — will now be forced to directly confront the testimonies and paper trail that the Sandiganbayan has deemed sufficient to put him on trial./PN
