Jinggoy responds to plunder raps linked to flood control mess

Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Thursday filed his counter-affidavit before the Department of Justice (DOJ) in response to a plunder complaint linked to allegedly anomalous flood control projects.

Estrada did not issue a statement, but his lawyer Bianca Soriano confirmed to reporters that the counter-affidavit had been submitted in connection with the complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for alleged violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

“We attack it based on procedural rules, specifically on the requirements of a complaint affidavit, because what NBI filed is a letter attaching an affidavit,” Soriano told reporters.

“And then, we also discussed the admissibility and the credibility of the evidence, which will not be able to meet the threshold required for criminal cases before the DOJ or the Ombudsman.”

The counter-affidavit also questioned whether the charges comply with existing jurisprudence that calls for greater caution from prosecutors when evaluating testimonies from witnesses seeking protection under the government’s witness protection program.

Soriano also maintained that Estrada is not a flight risk and should be allowed to travel abroad.

“As we’ve seen in Sandiganbayan, he has been complying with the necessary requirements for him to be able to travel,” she said.

The DOJ earlier said it would oppose any motion from Estrada’s camp seeking to lift the precautionary hold departure order issued against him by the courts.