But Estrada’s camp stands by authenticity of invite
(Eagle News)—The US Pinoys for Good Governance has denied it had invited former Senator Jinggoy Estrada to speak before them in the United States on May 20.
In a statement on Tuesday evening, USPGG chair Loida Lewis-Cruz and president Rodel Rodies said Estrada’s statements to the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division were “erroneous,” and that it was a Tony Antonio who had asked the Michigan chapter chair William Dechavez to invite Estrada.
They said, however, that Dechavez told Antonio that this could only be done “in his personal capacity, not as chair of USPGG Michigan.”
They said Dechavez could not have invited Estrada because he was on vacation in the Philippines.
But Estrada’s lawyer Alexis Abastillas-Suarez stood by the authenticity of the invitation that the former senator supposedly received from Dechavez.
“Basta we received an invite and we are honoring it,” he said.
“Whatever misunderstanding they have is already beyond us,” he added.
The Fifth Division has granted Estrada’s March 16 motion to be allowed to travel to the US based on that argument and others.
Estrada had said that apart from being invited to speak about extrajudicial killings, the Dengvaxia mess, among other topics he would have a medical consultation at Stanford Hospital once in the US.
During the trip, he said he would be accompanied by his wife Precy and their children Janella, Jolo, Julian and Jill.
Estrada, who faces cases in connection with the pork barrel scam, was allowed bail in 2017 after being detained for years in Camp Crame.
