MANILA: Could it be that socialite Ruby Tuason is a Trojan horse out to derail the filing of plunder complaint and overturn the public outrage against Senate minority leader Juan Ponce Enrile?
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV expressed this possibility yesterday over Tuason’s testimony, noting how she tried to withhold information or evade questions regarding her dealings with Enrile as well as the latter’s former chief of staff, Jesicca “Gigi” Reyes.
“I think the game plan now is for them to find a way to downgrade the case to be filed, make it bailable so that they will not be detained. They’ll use it as a leverage to hostage the government,” Trillanes said.
According to the senator, Tuason’s claims that she merely delivered P9m in kickbacks in 2008 smacks of attempts to derail the case. “It is way below the threshold amount for plunder,” Trillanes said. P50m is the threshold amount for plunder.
Trillanes thinks that Estrada is being dropped by Enrile camp in light of the latest developments. “It is unfortunate for Sen. Estrada but it seems that Tuason is out to save Senator Enrile but not Sen Estrada,” Trillanes said in Filipino.
Estrada, in an interview Thursday, cited inconsistencies on Tuason’s testimonies. He added Tuason will do everything to escape long detention, even to the point of putting to waste years of friendship and betraying trusted confidants.
Asked if he thinks Tuason as a credible witness, Trillanes said Tuason can be credible because she is an insider but she needs to spill the beans more to bolster the allegations of pork barrel fund misuse.
Tuason showed instances of uncertainty when asked about Enrile and Reyes during the Blue Blue Ribbon hearing hursday, to the disappointment of some senators.
As far as the senator is concerned, Tuason missed the opportunity of proving to the public that she should be made a state witness.
The Philippine star
