Detained Sen. Jose 鈥淛inggoy鈥� Estrada (left) on Tuesday said the plan of his half-brother, fellow opposition Sen. JV听Ejercito听(right), to deliver a counter-State of the Nation Address did not have the consent of the minority. FILE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines鈥揇etained Sen.听Jinggoy听Estrada on Tuesday said the plan of his half-brother, fellow opposition Sen. JV听Ejercito, to deliver a counter-State of the Nation Address (Sona) did not have the consent of the minority.
Speaking with reporters after his bail hearing at the听Sandiganbayan, Estrada said he and the other members of the Senate minority did not make any contribution to the contents of the speech which听Ejercito听is expected to deliver on the Senate floor next week.
鈥淥ur minority leader is currently detained,鈥� Estrada said, referring to his听coaccused, Sen. Juan Ponce听Enrile, who is being held at the Philippine National Police General Hospital at Camp听Crame, Quezon City.
鈥淪o Senator听Enrile听has no input. I have no input (as well as the other members of the minority). I think he is doing it on his own without any authority from the minority,鈥� he said.
Estrada, who had been at odds with his half-brother over the local politics in San Juan City, had been spending time at the PNP Custodial Center at Camp听Crame听since the听antigraft听court ordered his arrest last month.
After visiting听Enrile听at his hospital room at the police camp on July 9,听Ejercito听said the 90-year-old legislator agreed to his proposal for the opposition senators to draft a speech to negate the annual听Sona听speech which President Aquino delivered last July 28.
It is a tradition for the position bloc in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to make their own assessment of the country鈥檚 condition to counter the听Sona听of the sitting chief executive.
鈥淚 asked him if it is OK if we draft an anti-Sona(speech). He said it鈥檚 (the right thing to do),鈥澨鼸jercito听said.
During his conversation with听Enrile, he said he also told the minority leader of his plan to be more active in the Senate.
Sen. Bong Revilla is also detained for his alleged complicity in the P10-billion pork barrel racket. They had also been ordered suspended for 90 days.
Their detention left the Senate minority with only four members-听Ejercito听and Senators Nancy听Binay, Gringo听Honasan听and Tito Sotto.
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