MANILA, Philippines (Updated 5:44 p.m.) — US Pinoys for Good Governance denied the claim of former Sen. Jinggoy Estrada before the Sandiganbayan that he was invited as a speaker in one of the group’s gatherings.
Estrada has been allowed to travel to the United States after the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on Monday granted in open court his motion despite a pending plunder case in connection with the multibillion pork barrel fund scam.
In his motion filed on March 16, Estrada said that he was invited by USPGG to be a guest speaker to talk about extrajudicial killings, Dengvaxia fiasco and proposed shift to federalism in its annual general membership meeting to be held in Sterling Heights, Michigan on May 20, 2018.
He even attached in his motion an invitation letter signed by William Dechavez, identified as the president.
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“This news is erroneous. USPGG Willie Dechavez did not invite Jinggoy Estrada to speak in Michigan under USPGG nor is any program being planned by USPGG Michigan since Willie Dechavez is on vacation in the Philippines,” the group advocating good government said in a statement.
USPGG explained that a certain Tony Antonio asked Dechavez to invite Estrada but Dechavez “said it could only be done in his personal capacity, not as chair of UPSPGG Michigan because he needs consultation with his group in Michigan.”
In a text message to reporters, Estrada lawyer Alexis Abastillas-Suarez stood by the authenticity of the invitation letter that the former senator supposedly received from Chavez.
"Basta (Still) we received an invite and we are honoring it. Whatever misunderstanding they have is already beyond us," Suarez said.
USPGG is an organization of Filipinos based in the US. It is chaired by philanthropist Loida Nicolas-Lewis, who has been accused by the administration of conspiring with the International Criminal Court to indict President Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity.
Duterte threatened to release a transcript of a supposed wiretapped phone conversation involving Lewis regarding the ICC’s preliminary examination into the government’s brutal war on drugs.
The Fil-Am community leader strongly denied Duterte’s claim.
READ: Palace: Loida Lewis can conspire with ICC 'because she's rich'
Aside from his supposed speaking engagement, Estrada said he would also have a medical consultation for his recurring shoulder pains at Stanford Hospital.
He would be accompanied by his wife Precy and their children Janella, Jolo, Julian and Jill during the trip.
The anti-graft court allowed Estrada to post bail in 2017 after being detained for more than three years at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.