Ruby Tuason will 'crumble' - Jinggoy

MANILA, Philippines — Beleaguered Senator Jinggoy Estrada remains confident that he will be able to defend himself in court even if Ruby Tuason, his alleged representative who has admitted delivering pork barrel kickbacks to him, is now a state witness.

Estrada, who is indicted for graft and plunder charges in connection with the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam, said he is not surprised that the Office of the Ombudsman has granted immunity to Tuason.

"The only real targets of this persecution from the very beginning are the three senators," Estrada told ANC in a phone-patch interview, referring to himself and Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon Revilla Jr.

On Ruby Tuason immunity: I was not surprised, at the onset I expected that Mrs. Ruby Tuason will be granted immunity

— Jinggoy Estrada (@jinggoyestrada1) May 2, 2014

We all know that this is already a done deal and the only real targets of this persecution from the very beginning are the three senators.

— Jinggoy Estrada (@jinggoyestrada1) May 2, 2014

The three senators have been accused of amassing millions of pesos in kickbacks from their pork barrel funds that were diverted to bogus non-government organizations of Janet Lim-Napoles using government agencies as conduits.

Last month, the Ombudsman said it found probable cause to indict the three senators for plunder and multiple counts of graft before the Sandiganbayan.

And if cases will be indeed filed, Estrada said he will be ready.

"In the unfortunate event that an information will be filed before the Sandiganbayan, I am very confident that we will be victorious in the end and Mrs. Tuason will crumble in the cross-examination," Estrada told ANC.

Once a social secretary of former President Joseph Estrada, Tuason said she handed in 2008 a combined amount of at least P9 million to Senator Estrada, and at least two of those deliveries were made in the Senate building.

After testifying in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation on the pork barrel scam, senators said Tuason is a perfect witness in the case.

Read: Ruby Tuason a 'perfect witness'

"You are a perfect witness, a competent witness, an intelligent witness," Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago told Tuason.

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Committee chair Teofisto Guingona III also described Tuason's testimony as a "three-point  buzzer beater and winning shot."

Justice Secretary Leila De Lima had also said that Tuason's testimony is a "slam dunk evidence." - Louis Bacani