Estrada willing to sign waiver to open his bank accounts

Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Monday, 15 September, said he is ready to sign a waiver to open his bank accounts.

"I'm open to any investigation, in fact, Mr. President, ngayon pa lang kahit hindi pa nagco-commence ang Blue Ribbon Committee ni Senator [Ping Lacson, ngayon pa lang, I'm willing to sign any waiver to open my bank accounts (in fact, even though Senator Lacson's Blue Ribbon Committee has not yet started, I'm willing to sign any waiver to open my bank accounts)," Estrada said during the Senate's plenary session.

"Wag naman ganun, bakit senador lang ang gusto nilang ipako sa krus? Bakit yung ibang mga politiko, porket ba sikat kami? Hindi naman ata tama yun, pare-pareho lang tayong nasa gobyerno, pare-pareho lang tayong naninilbihan dito (Don't be like that, why do they only want to crucify us senators? Why not do the same to other politicians? Is it because we're popular? That's not right, we're all in the government, serving the same people)," he added.

Estrada made the statement after former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Engineer Brice Hernandez tagged Estrada as among those involved in the corruption related to flood control projects in the country.

In a House inquiry last week, Hernandez claimed that Estrada received a 30-percent kickback from P355 million worth of allocation from flood control projects.

"How can I demand 30 percent? What is his basis?" he lamented.

"I've been there, kaya pinag-iingatan ko pangalan ko (that's why I am taking care of my name). Why should I do such a thing? I would never do such a thing. Was it because I'm actively participating in the Blue Ribbon Committee? Was it because I'm brave? I'm just doing my job," he added.

Hernandez showed photos of Estrada with ex-Bulacan first engineering district head Henry Alcantara, and screenshots of a message exchange involving an alleged member of Estrada's staff identified as Beng Ramos.

Estrada then denied that he had a staff member named Beng Ramos since entering the Senate in 2004. He added that Ramos was a staff member of the Blue Ribbon Committee and a former girlfriend of one of his Senate staff.