MANILA, Philippines\u2014Sen. JV Ejercito will decide according to his conscience\u2014not according to family or party loyalty\u2014when he would have to choose whether to sign the Senate blue ribbon committee report that found his half-brother, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, one of those liable for plunder in the P10-billion pork barrel scam.<\/p>\n\n
In a radio interview over the weekend, Ejercito indicated he would do the same thing when the Senate puts to a vote whether to discipline\u2014either suspend or expel\u2014its three members who are facing plunder charges in connection with the massive fraud.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m sad. We share the same blood. He\u2019s my brother. But then again, as I have said, even though I have a responsibility to my family, I also have a responsibility to my colleagues and I am also accountable to our countrymen who voted for me,\u201d Ejercito said over dwIZ.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cPerhaps, I will give more weight to my accountability [to the people],\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n
Ejercito said, however, that he had yet to see a copy of the 122-page draft committee report that found Estrada, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile and<\/p>\n
Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. liable for plunder in connection with their alleged involvement in the scam allegedly masterminded by Janet Lim-Napoles.<\/p>\n\n
The Office of the Ombudsman has also announced that it has found probable cause to charge the three in the Sandiganbayan antigraft court.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cAt this point, we aren\u2019t the ones who will decide this case. The true judges in this case, the ones who will give the verdict, will be the [justices of the] Sandiganbayan,\u201d Ejercito said.<\/p>\n\n
Enrile, Estrada and Ejercito are members of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, the party founded by former President and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, the father of both Ejercito and Estrada.<\/p>\n\n
Asked if he would vote in favor of the Senate disciplining Estrada, Enrile and Revilla, Ejercito said, \u201cI\u2019ve yet to decide because we\u2019re still not at that point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
\u201cBut as I have said, I will give more importance to my responsibility as a senator of our country because somehow, millions voted for me and gave me their trust,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cOur countrymen voted for me; that\u2019s why I cannot turn my back on the trust the people gave me,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n
On the current state of the Senate minority, Ejercito said, \u201cI have to be honest with you. The minority is now really crippled.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s unlike during the start [of the 16th Congress in the middle of 2013] when we always had meetings. There was a caucus every week. Now, it\u2019s rather rare,\u201d Ejercito said.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s understandable because many of our colleagues have cases or are involved in this case. We understand that they also have to attend to their individual cases,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n
Aside from Enrile, the minority floor leader, Estrada and Ejercito, the other members of the Senate minority are Deputy Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III, Gregorio Honasan and Nancy Binay.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sen. JV Ejercito will decide according to his conscience\u2014not according to family or party loyalty\u2014when he would have to choose whether to sign the Senate blue ribbon committee report that found his half-brother, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, one of those liable for plunder in the P10-billion pork barrel scam.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[481,36,37],"tags":[1044,767,52,512],"byline":[92],"source":[206078],"column":[],"editor":[],"videographer":[],"position":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n