Jinggoy's wife: Life is like hell

MANILA, Philippines - It's like hell.

Precy Ejercito, the wife of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, was describing for the first time how her family is feeling after the filing of plunder charges and the imminent arrest of his husband over the pork barrel fund misuse.

Ejercito outpoured her emotions on how her family has been adversely affected by the pork barrel controversy.

With the senator's impending arrest, Precy expressed belief that the case has been politicized.

"Kung ito hindi nahaluan ng pulitika, wala naman kaming plunder case," the senator's wife said in a brief chat with reporters at their residence in Quezon City.

"His case should have passed through the right processes. Ang galing ng conspiracy nila, sobra," she said. "If the proper processes will be followed, then nobody should be going to jail."

Sen. Estrada is obviously affected by the latest developments including the detention of his colleague and longtime showbiz friend, Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr, at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame.

Estrada said he is taking advantage of the time that he can still spend with his family when the Sandiganbayan did not issue a warrant of arrest on Friday.

He admitted that the relief just prolongs the agony and his mental torture, but they have to face the situation squarely.

"This gives me additional time to spend with my family. Its agonizing moments but two days that I am still free, I can still be with my family," said Estrada, whose legal team met intensively for about four hours to discuss their legal strategy.

The senator's legal team, led by Jose Flaminiano, said they will likely file a petition to bail once the warrant of arrest is issued against his client.

Flaminiano expressed hope that the court will be lenient to his client since he has no intent to escape charges. Neither is the senator a flight risk, the lawyer added.

For the past two weeks, Estrada had told his children to take care of their mother while he is away. "I told them to be strong."

"Mabigat sa dibdib," he added.

He said his youngest daughter, Jillian Precious, 9, is most affected by his impending arrest.

"Mama, is daddy going to jail?" the young girl asked her mother. Precy was distraught emotionally after he heard her youngest daughter, unable to fully explain the situation to her.

"She's too young for that," she said. The couple has four children.

When it was time for the senator to explain to their daughter, Estrada said he has insinuated that he might be going to jail anytime.

"Baka baby," Estrada told his baby girl.

It was his daughter's reply that crushed the senator's heart after he told her the situation inside the jail.

"'Pag andun sa jail, walang aircon dun," Estrada told his daughter. "Okay lang dada, basta kasama kita," said Jillian, who is now a Grade 3 student in a private school.

Precy said she has been praying that the arrest will not happen. "Dasal ako nang dasal na 'wag mangyari."

"Sirang sira na, sinira na nila ang pagkatao ko," Precy said, admitting she has been feeling anxiety as what's happening now is similar with their experience when former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada was ousted and eventually jailed for similar plunder charges.

"My husband is my security blanket," she added.

Precy recalled the trauma  that she and her family experienced for two years since the former president and her husband were arrested in early 2001.

She appealed to the public to spare their children from criticisms.

"Wala naman kinalaman mga anak ko, they cannot have a normal life but I told them they have a high profile life," Precy added.