The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee will resume its investigation into the P10 Billion Pork Barrel Funds scam this morning and it is expected that Ruby Tuason will come up with more controversial revelations — not that we haven’t heard them before.
In a meeting with other pork barrel whistle blowers on the eve of her much awaited appearance before the Senate probe led by Senator TG Guingona, it was said that Ruby Tuason’s testimony will focus on her involvement in the pork barrel scam and her reasons for coming out among other things.
The way it looks right now, Tuason will be basically to corroborate the computer records kept by primary pork barrel whistle blower Benhur Luy.
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A news report in the Philippine Daily Inquirer summarizes what could be part of Tuason’s revelations today:
Tuason also met for five hours with the whistle-blowers at the NBI and corroborated statements about the delivery of kickbacks for the use of the senators’ allocations from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
Tuason earlier confirmed to Luy that the commission she handed to Reyes for using Enrile’s PDAF was P77 million for the period 2007-2009, while Estrada’s was P35 million, according to the lawyer of the whistle-blowers, Levito Baligod.
Luy had the same figure for the alleged Enrile commissions but his record for the money he gave Estrada was only P9 million. Baligod said this was because Estrada went directly to Napoles or used conduits.
Based on the records of the two witnesses, the first transaction by Tuason involving Enrile’s PDAF was P31.9 million coursed through the Department of Agriculture using Napoles’ bogus nongovernment organization—People’s Organization for Progress and Development Foundation—with special allotment release order No. BMB-E-04-04-068, dated Dec. 14, 2004.
Tuason’s figure for the amount given to Estrada was smaller because the senator used his former staff, Pauline Labayen, to collect his purported payoff. Estrada also had used as conduit for Napoles actor Mat Ranillo.
The widow of the late Carlos “Butch” Tuason, chair of the Philippine Sports Commission, left for the United States after news of the pork barrel scandal broke out in July last year. She returned on Friday, saying she wanted to clear her conscience and turn state witness.
Both Estrada and Enrile have denied any wrongdoing. Enrile said Tuason was only a “casual” acquaintance.
Tuason’s anticipated testimony has reportedly been “downplayed” by Vice President Jejomar Binay
Vice President Jejomar Binay in Lucena City, Quezon province on Saturday said the reported “slam dunk evidence” provided by state witness Ruby Tuason against his allies Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile in the P10-billion pork barrel scam case was a “dud.”
“Can it demolish anything? Can it?” Binay said, laughing, when asked here for comment on the damning testimony of Tuason, who admitted to delivering millions of pesos in kickbacks to Estrada and Enrile from businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind behind the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
Binay, Enrile and former President Joseph Estrada, now mayor of Manila, are the three leaders of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance.
Another Binay ally, Senator Koko Pimentel cautions against Tuason’s testimony:
“The DOJ is right: the prosecution, the Ombudsman will have the say as to whether they still need Tuason’s help. But her testimony should be believable, not yarn that has been spun out of desperation, to save her neck and help her avoid being jailed”
One question thing that bothers me a bit is how Vice President Binay and his allies are seemingly sowing doubt against Tuason. Granting that it seems Binay HAS TO defend his allies, it doesn’t seem at all prudent as it might make him look like he is on the side of so called “public enemies”.
Writer.
This seemingly important issue about pork will just be another zarsuela or moro-moro. Come next election the idiot voters will forget about this and we will still again end up with an idiotic government unless Filipinos wake up and demand for a government which fears the people. Filipinos should realize that we own the government and not the other way around.
Filipinos do not have any significant infrastructure because 30% of tax money is stolen. The rest is pissed away on small time patronage projects. The more of a thief someone is, the more they seem to be admired. As inept as Aquino is; voting for Binay is like going backwards. They should change the name of their party to the United Kleptocratic Alliance.
Binay is a dead duck come 2016, and that is a good thing.
He has shown his true colours – and all of them are black, with a yellow streak and a love of the greenback
Hopefully you are right.
well said.only using CORY’s name and influence but mixing with d crooks/plunderers.kakahiya db
So you think Cory is blameless? You need to read more facts, hijo.
The truth shall set you free… From the daily tribune… the pork barrel frame up in the senate:
http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/2-tuason-affidavits-bare-pork-frame-up
The dictator BS Aquino is at it again as his perceived enemies are subjected to blame games and scapegoating. The opposition senators currently being targeted in the senate are now the dictator’s perceived enemies. The senate inquiry is nothing more than a political circus. This circus is complete with the continuing trial by publicity and black propaganda. It is both a sham and a farce. It is apparent that the senate is the kangaroo court of the dictator BS Aquino. What happened to the presumption of innocence? What happened to due process? Is the senate now overlapping the functions of a trial court? This frame up dictated by the yellow dictator is meant to divide and conquer/divide and rule the senate. Why are the accused senators sidelined while the one-sided accusers continue to be examined by the senate? There should be confrontational discussions where the accused opposition senators are allowed to defend themselves.
why is it that everytime a legislator or someone conducts a hearing,in this case d Senate Blue Committee(in aid of legislation),people like u will come out with remark “political circus”,”presumption of innocence” “BS Aquino as a dictator”,”scapegoating” blah blah.nothing positive.Even a circus has its ending.
Of course many politicians tend to look for pogi points when conducting such trials….but we are talking about SCANDALS ,national pork scandals,embarrassment to d whole world.Why can’t u give d Blue Committe a chance to finish d hearing and then lets ensure that d truth shall prevail.Even as someone abroad i do keep track of every day happenings in d Philippines.I read 4major Phil dailies,daily besides belated TV/media news(same day).U want d crooks/corrupt legislators to go scott free…Btw they(d 3 accused senators) were given d liberty to b present during the hearing but they decided not to attend d hearing.They were not being SIDELINED.it looks like u are just being prejudiced/biased for reasons u only know.These crooked legislators enriched themselves at d expense of millions of dirt poor kababayans and yet u r talking of frame up and all that jazz.Put ur money where ur mouth is and WAKE _UP man!
That is because it is a circus. In case you didn’t know, the senate blue ribbon committee is not a proper court of law. Nothing proper will ever come out of it. The last senate hearing against Corona is a sham designed to meet the ends of the ruling yellows. You should be the one to wake up. It doesn’t matter how many daily papers you read if you do not take the time to analyze it.
With the storm of yellow propaganda we have been getting; who knows what the truth is. All we can do is wait for the Sandibagayan to decide. I have been trying to keep an open mind; but something stinks to high heaven.
The truth would get them all thrown the fuck in jail, in a real country, with real courts…not these cow-dung laced with ‘blue-ribbon’ panels.
The shit is laughable, if it weren’t for the fact that these rat turds are stealing from people who do not even have enough to eat most of the time.
I’m tired of these Senate Investigations. I have yet to see anyone hanged; Electric Chair executed; or thrown to Jail. They are all Crooks.
Aquino is the biggest Crook. He bribed Senators to vote for the impeachment of Chief Justice Corona of the Supreme Court. It was an assault on the Judiciary System. Aquino now control the Judiciary system. He has a hand on who or who will not be investigated. Binay is another “tsu-tsuwa” idiot, who aligned himself with Aquino; because of his Presidential ambition…The oxymoron Aquino is trying to DIVERT the attention of people again; with the aid of his cahoot Media. Can you see ?: he is not listed as a Crook. Yet, he is the biggest Crook of them all. The Tuason show is another Senate “Zarzuela” , used as a DIVERSIONARY TACTIC.
You are right Hyden. The dictator BS Aquino is also seen as the king or godfather of the PDAF and the DAP. Ms. Tuason is not the least guilty. BS Aquino is shielded by his propaganda machinery and the manipulated surveys. His aura of impunity is revealed and yet nothing is done to prosecute the MadNoy of the palace by the stinking river.
Again from the daily tribune… Ms. Tuason fails to offer solid proof:
http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/iffy-tuason-fails-to-offer-solid-proof
Here are 2 commentaries that reveal the truth… From the daily tribune:
http://www.tribune.net.ph/commentary/editorial/a-fumble-not-a-slam-dunk
http://www.tribune.net.ph/commentary/crumbling-under-questioning
It just doesn’t add up
Senators came to praise ruby tuason in the hope of burying enrile. Even santiago, not surprisingly, lent tuason a helping legal hand!
‘Courageous’, ‘hero’, ‘Convincing’, ‘classy’ were words used by the senators.
To me someone who steals from the poor over a prolonged period, flees the country at the first opportunity once implicated, and only returns to desperately save her own neck is none of those things, especially when with a straight ( botoxed) face she says she was moved by the yolanda victims and needs to help them. Add lying devious hypocrite to her list of saintly qualities
More telling was the scant information, obvious reluctance to quote specifics, heresay, bad memory (presidents secretaries and socialites by default have good memories, are organised, and keep diaries/notes/lists), reliance on benhur luy, and figures which just don’t add up.
She says she got 5% – 40 million pesos
The senators got 40% (i.e. 320 million pesos)
Her affidavit adds up to only 9 million pesos
And dishing out 320 million would necessitate records, transfers etc.
Am sure after each multi-million payout she celebrated/bought something/went on holiday so should be easy to remember/check the dates.
Sounds as though once in witness protection programme she will not throw estrada or enrile under the bus. A defence lawyer will make mincemeat of her. Maybe that is the plan. Witness protection – in, evidence – thrown out.
I wouldn’t trust her. She has shown how devious she is without any moral fibre or genuine remorse. If she had wanted to repay the filipino people, yesterday was her chance, but she short changed everyone, as she has always done. Once a criminal, always a criminal.
Good points. There is more to her than meets the eye. She’s obviously a political ploy.
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