The Senate minority bloc on Tuesday unanimously denied the claim of Senator Jinggoy Estrada that he was offered a deal to leave the majority bloc in exchange for the dismissal of the cases against him.
Senator Tito Sotto said discussions between members of the Senate blocs are normal.
“Those conversations are normal. In any parliament, that is normal. But to say that someone promised he would no longer be jailed — we have no power over the Ombudsman,” Sotto said, adding that “what happened is the rule of law.”
Estrada was arrested Monday by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group after the Sandiganbayan issued a warrant in connection with a plunder case allegedly involving P573 million in kickbacks from flood control projects.
Before leaving with the police, Estrada told reporters he had been offered a deal to leave the majority bloc in exchange for the dismissal of his case but he declined.
“I did not accept it. My conviction to remain with my colleagues in the independent majority bloc prevailed,” he said.
Estrada ended his remarks with a teaser: “As for who they are, wait for the next chapter.”
He had posted bail earlier for the graft charges against him. The plunder case, however, is non-bailable.
