MANILA -- Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Teofisto 'TG' Guingona is convinced by the testimony of Ruby Tuason during the Senate hearing on the pork barrel scam on Thursday morning. In a press briefing after the hearing, Guingona said Tuason, social secretary of then-President Joseph Estrada, could have opted to stay in the US, but instead returned to testify on the P10-B pork barrel scam. "My point really being is, malakas ito. Matindi ito. Personally nagbigay siya at siya nagsasabi. And remind you, she was already in the States, away from the clutches of the law here in the Philippines. She came back. She came back," Guingona said. On Thursday's hearing, Tuason detailed how she personally delivered pork barrel kickbacks to Senator Jinggoy Estrada. She also confirmed that her role in the pork barrel scam was as "go-between" of Senators Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile to Janet Lim-Napoles. Guingona pointed out that identifying Estrada's personnel even made Tuason's testimony stronger. "In my opinion, it’s very very strong, very very strong evidence. To top it all, she even pointed out two faces of the personnel of Sen. Estrada, iyong mga sumasalubong sa kanya pagdating niya dito," he said. "It can stand alone. In fact, that is the strongest piece, mode of evidence presented—testimony. Kasi iyong tao mismo ang nagsasabi, hindi iyong dokumento. Iyong dokumento puwedeng i-fake. Iyong tao, masasabi mo kung nagsasabi ng totoo, mako-cross examine mo," he added. Guingona also believes that Tuason's testimony is an honest act of contrition in order for her to clean her name. "I don’t think that was acting. That was an honest act of contrition. I think she really wants to make a clean break. Imagine, she was even willing to return the money," he said. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago also believes that Tuason's testimony is a "bull's eye" and described her as a "perfect and intelligent state witness." Vice President Jejomar Binay earlier described Tuason's statement as a "dud" and not a "slam dunk" as Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had put it. Senators Enrile and Estrada also said earlier that they are unfazed by Tuason's testimony. Guingona said the end goal of the Senate hearing on the P10 billion pork barrel scam is an accomplished committee report for legislation and for the prosecution of the guilty party .
