MANILA – Senator Jinggoy Estrada advised Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to be careful in releasing statements with no concrete evidences. Estrada believed that it would be better for Trillanes to ‘keep his mouth shut.’
“He was accusing two justices of the CA (Court of Appeals) that the TRO (temporary restraining order) is for sale. He has to be cautious in all his statements as a senator of the public,” Estrada said.
“Dapat magsalita siya if there is really convincing evidence against these two justices that he named. Mahirap yung salita ka nang salita, wala ka naman ebidensya. Of course, his credibility is at stake. As a colleague, I advise him to just keep his mouth shut,” he added.
(He should speak if there is really convincing evidence against these two judges that he named. It’s difficult to make claims, yet you don’t have evidences. Of course, his credibility is at stake. As a colleague, I advise him to just keep his mouth shut.)
Estrada gave the said instruction even if he himself also released a statement questioning the alleged meeting of the Department of Justice (DOJ) officials with Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 presiding judge Elmo Alameda.
“May nakakita na mismong sa sala nung judge merong mga representative ng DOJ na nagkakape sa sala ng judge. What are they doing there? During [Napoles’] trial ito. What is their business there in the sala of the judge?,” he asked.
(There was someone who saw in the very sala of the judge that there were representatives of the DOJ drinking coffee in the sala of the judge. What are they doing there? This is during [Napoles’] trial. What is their business in the sala of the judge?)
Detention case ruling effect on related cases
During a break in his bail hearing, Estrada was asked by reporters on his thoughts regarding the Makati court’s decision on the serious illegal detention case against multi-billion pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.
Estrada said that he believed the ruling on the detention case had implications to the pork barrel cases.
“This is only my humble opinion, no way out ‘yung lower court na i-convict si Janet Lim-Napoles. Palagay ko, kaya kinonvict iyun to certify that the credibility of Benhur Luy is intact,” he said.
(This is only my humble opinion, the lower court had no way out in convicting Janet Lim-Napoles. I think, the reason she was convicted was to certify that the credibility of Benhur Luy is intact.)
“Kasi kapag hindi naconvict si Napoles at sasabihin ng lower court na walang kredibilidad si Benhur, of course it will affect the cases here at the Sandiganbayan because [it will entail that] the defense lawyers were successful in demolishing the credibility of Benhur Luy. So I just hope and pray that the justices of the Sandiganbayan will not be influenced by the decision of the lower court,” he added.
(Because if Napoles would not be convicted and the lower court would say that Benhur had no credibility, of course it will affect the cases here at the Sandiganbayan because [it will entail that] the defense lawyers were successful in demolishing the credibility of Benhur Luy. So I just hope and pray that the justices of the Sandiganbayan will not be influenced by the decision of the lower court.)