BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – Opposition senator Jinggoy Estrada said he would rather wait for the Sandiganbayan’s decision on the multibillion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund scam than resign.
He was reacting to an online petition calling for his resignation.
The petition, filed by #ScrapPork Network in website, Change.Org, already has 14,012 supporters as of May 5, 2014.
It likewise calls for the “immediate resignation” of Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and challenges the Senate to expel the accused.
“Let us pressure them to step down from their positions! In other countries, just a hint of scandal is enough for public officials to resign,” the petition said.
Estrada said he is not inclined to resign because he “cannot abandon the 18 million Filipinos who voted for me in office.”
The son of former president and now Manila City mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada also urged the Department of Justice to release the list which purportedly includes other senators in the scandal.
“I do not know the agenda of the Department of Justice. Well, for the good of the public and for the good of the Senate and Congress in general, I hope they release the alleged list given to her (de Lima) by Mrs. (Janet Lim) Napoles, if there is any,” Estrada said.
Enrile and Revilla, for their part, said the allegations against them have not been proven yet in court so they are still presumed innocent.
Revilla added that he is willing to resign if he would be proven guilty./PN
