Jinggoy pork barrel cases to proceed

THE PHILIPPINES’ anti-graft court has rejected Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Ejercito Estrada’s motion to dismiss his graft charges in connection with a multibillion-peso pork barrel scam.

“The court is convinced that the plaintiff clearly proved that Estrada’s PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) was systematically pocketed, was divided among the accused, and nothing went to the supposed beneficiaries of the PDAF-funded agricultural and livelihood programs,” the Sandiganbyan said in a 99-page resolution written by Associate Justice Zaldy V. Trespeses.

The Ombudsman filed the lawsuit in 2014, accusing the senator of participating in the PDAF scam, where public funds were funneled to bogus projects from 2004 to 2012.

Mr. Estrada did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment, but said in his dismissal motion that state prosecutors had failed to prove his role in the scam.

“The prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he… committed acts… [that] supposedly caused undue injury to the government and gave unwarranted benefits and advantage to private individuals,” he said in his motion, according to a copy of the Sandiganbayan ruling posted on its website.

Mr. Estrada faces 11 graft charges due to his alleged misappropriation of P183 million of discretionary funds in collusion with businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles. The Sandiganbayan last year allowed the senator to file the motion to dismiss the cases.

The pork barrel, which allowed lawmakers to fund small-scale projects in their districts that fell outside the national infrastructure program, was voided by the Supreme Court in 2013 for being illegal. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio