Amid controversy, Jinggoy celebrates birthday

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Jinggoy Estrada celebrated his 51st birthday yesterday amid a cloud of doubt in the Senate over his alleged misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

Senate minority leader Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., who are also accused of PDAF misuse, were among the well-wishers at the office of Estrada, who prepared a luncheon party for his guests.

Also present were Estrada’s wife Precy and their daughter Janella, close friends and some supporters.

Enrile, who celebrated his 90th birthday on Valentine’s Day, said Estrada could eventually become president of the country despite the serious allegations he is facing.

“(I hope he will be able to) overcome all the challenges before him and become a president of the country. That is my wish for him. That is the dream of every politician,” Enrile said.

Estrada’s father, former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, arrived past 1 p.m. and joined Revilla and Enrile at a center table. This prompted the younger Estrada to joke about the circumstances.

“Now, the three of us are complete here (in the table),” referring to himself, Enrile and Revilla who are facing plunder complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman.

The older Estrada was less serious in his birthday wish for his son.

“Sana dumating ang araw na gumandang lalaki siya kesa sa akin (I hope the day will come when he will be more handsome than me),” Mayor Estrada said.

Estrada: The truth will set me free

Asked for his birthday wish, Estrada said he hopes that he would be exonerated of all the unwarranted charges against him. He said he wanted his name cleared of any wrongdoing and for his accusers to stop persecuting him and his colleagues.

Estrada admitted that he and his family have been adversely affected by the controversy.

“Of course, my family is deeply affected. But me, there is no problem with me. At the end of the day, the truth will set me free,” he said.

For Mayor Estrada, he said he is used to being subjected to trial by publicity.

“I hope they will overcome it. What they did to me, they have apologized for what they did to me. Even former President Aquino apologized publicly and even Bishop Tobias apologized in behalf of the Church,” the former president said, referring to his impeachment.

“When I was incarcerated, that’s the time when my son Jinggoy was elected as senator. Even my wife Dra. Loi won in the Senate (race) when I was incarcerated. That means the Filipino people don’t believe the charges,” he added.

Sen. Juan Victor Ejercito also expressed hope that Sen. Estrada, his half-brother, will surpass the latest challenge in his political career. Ejercito also went to Estrada’s office to greet him on his birthday.

Enrile and Estrada were also greeted by their colleagues during the plenary session as part of tradition.

Estrada, however, was unable to keep quiet on the way Sen. Teofisto Guingona III “prejudged” him and Enrile when socialite Ruby Tuason testified at the Blue Ribbon hearing last Thursday.

Estrada took offense when Guingona, chairman of the Blue Ribbon committee, declared in public that Tuason’s testimony was a buzzer-beater, three-point and winning shot, placing the three implicated senators in the “guilty” category.