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In case you forgot, he can now keep doing his senatorial tasks even if he’s detained.
“Detained Sen. Jinggoy Estrada has proposed a measure that aims to penalize some unscrupulous individuals who put out baseless and malicious accusations against other people before various forums and the media,” reports Christina Mendez in The Philippine Star.
The report pointed out: “Estrada is currently detained in Camp Crame for plunder charges in relation to the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam.” He is one of the lawmakers accused of funneling his pork barrel funds into the bogus NGOs set up by Janet Lim Napoles.
In any case, Estrada’s proposed Senate Bill 2573 “aims to amend Article 180 of the Revised Penal Code and impose heavier penalty for lying witnesses.”
Of course, Estrada’s move “comes on the heels of the testimonies of whistleblowers Benhur Luy and Ruby Tuason, who are testifying against him.”
The report noted: “Under current laws, the penalty for witnesses fabricating their testimonies would depend on the sentence imposed against the person to whom the false testimony was given.”
Estrada explained in the bills introductory noted: “For instance, if a witness testifies falsely against the accused charged with homicide, and such accused is convicted and sentenced to reclusion temporal (minimum of 12 years imprisonment) and the witness was later found to be lying and was in turn prosecuted and convicted, the penalty imposable to such lying witness is only prision mayor (minimum of six years imprisonment).”
He stated that “this is grossly unfair to the accused falsely convicted as a result of a witness’ false testimony.”
Thus, the proposed bill “provides that if the defendant is acquitted, the lying witness shall suffer the penalty imposable upon the defendant if he would have been convicted.”
Photo: Rey Javelosa, Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau (PRIB)
