DILG Secretary Mar Roxas III (left) chats with Senators Grace Poe-Llamanzares, JV Ejercito, and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the Senate deliberation on the 2015 budget of the Department of Interior and Local Government on Monday, November 24. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) — After attending his bail hearing at the Sandiganbayan 5th Division for his plunder case, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada told reporters that Interior Secretary Mar Roxas is highly qualified to run for president.
The detained senator, however, said that the Estradas are not throwing their support behind anyone yet.
“I do not want to pre-empt President Estrada,” said Sen Estrada, referring to his father, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.
The younger Estrada said Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte are also qualified candidates for the 2016.
As for his own political plan, Estrada said he will focus first on his pork barrel scam cases.
Meantime, at the continuation of the bail hearing for Estrada, National Bureau of Investigation special investigator Dario Sabinalo was presented by the prosecution as an expert on cybercrime.
He narrated his numerous trainings in the US with software companies since he started working at the NBI in 2003.
The prosecution panel offered his testimony on the files of whistleblower Benhur Luy which it claims were created on the dates indicated and have not been modified.
Due to lack of time, the hearing will continue Tuesday.
At the start of the hearing, 5th Division Chair Roland Jurado announced that aside from the Monday hearings, additional weekly hearings will be set on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Jurado said in open court that the additional dates were in response to the request made by the Ombudsman.
But since the additional hearing dates will be shared with other cases, the lawyers of Estrada and alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles opposed the plan.
Sen. Estrada said he appreciated the court’s move to fast-track his bail hearing.
Also part of its effort to fast track the bail hearings, the 5th division also started thrice-a-week hearings for the bail petition of former APEC party-list Rep. Edgar Valdez who is also accused of plunder in connection with the pork barrel scam.
The prosecution presented Mary Arlene Baltazar, former book keeper of Napoles. Baltazar said, she once saw Valdez in their office when she was still working for Napoles.(MNS)