PROVISIONAL STATE witness Ruby Tuason visited the Ateneo for an open forum where the Ateneo community was given the opportunity to ask her questions about her involvement in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.

“An Open Discussion with Ruby Tuason,” organized by the Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement (Crusada) in cooperation with the Ateneo School of Government, was held on February 21 at the Social Development Conference Hall.

Members of the Ateneo community were asked by the organizers to submit their questions for Tuason through a Google Doc posted in the forum’s Facebook event page. Only pre-approved questions by Ateneo students, employees and alumni were asked to Tuason during the forum by panelists from Crusada and the Ateneo Debate Society (ADS).

The panel consisted of Crusada Party Premier Enrico La Viña, former Crusada Party Premier Miguel Rivera, ADS President Inah Robles and incumbent ADS Debate Education Program Head JV Valerio

Valerio is the son of Atty. Benedicto Valerio, Jr., a member of Tuason’s legal counsel.

After answering the pre-approved questions, Tuason also entertained queries of audience members. However, these were screened first by Atty. Dennis Manalo, another lawyer from Tuason’s legal counsel.

Tuason gave an opening statement before answering any of the questions during the event.

This was her first public appearance after testifying at a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on February 13. Tuason is currently applying to become a state witness after initially being implicated in the PDAF scandal.

A chance for change

In her opening speech, Tuason talked about the following: Her response to her critics’ claims, her involvement in the PDAF scam, her future plans, and why she accepted the invitation to talk to the Ateneo community.

“Let me be clear: I am speaking from the perspective of an individual who committed mistakes, [but] I am also speaking as someone disturbed by the consequences of those actions,” she said.

After news of the PDAF scam broke out, Tuason left the Philippines to take refuge in the United States, where she was “assured safety and peace with regard to [her] security.”

However, she said that the time spent “in fear of the law” allowed her to reflect on the circumstances of her departure.

“I recognized that security will never grant true peace,” she admitted.

Tuason added that she came back to the Philippines to “right [her] wrongs, by revealing what [she] knows is true.”

Tuason also slammed rumors that she came back to the country with an agenda to protect a senator from being convicted.

“If it is true that I was working for a certain senator, why should I include any sort of information linking [a senator] to the scandal?” she asked. “The best action to take, if I was in service of men with skeletons in the closet, is to keep my mouth shut, and be content in exile.”

Tuason also emphasized that she came back to help and to free herself of guilt.

“I am not here to bring down anyone. I started this as a personal mission for peace of mind,” she stressed.

Tuason asked the Ateneo community to “learn from her mistakes.”

“You are the future politicians. You are the future business leaders. You are the generation that is most affected by reform. This is an opportunity for change,” she said.

“Most importantly, I invite you to be catalysts. The corruption that plagues the Philippines is protected by lies. Tell the truth, and proper action will follow.”

On withholding information

When asked to explain her decision to return to the Philippines to share her knowledge about the scam, Tuason said that she often attended church to seek guidance.

“When I was in the States, I was so nervous [and] I kept on crying. I kept on asking for forgiveness from the Lord. I kept on saying ‘I’m sorry,’” she said.

Tuason said she prayed for discernment and came to the conclusion that she did not want to hide anymore. “I made the decision; I said I would go back, face the music, and take my chances. I don’t want 80 million Filipinos hating me.”

In response to the critics who say she is withholding information in her testimony, Tuason said that she already told all the facts that she knows.

She added that she does not agree with Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s sentiment, who said that Tuason was being “selective” in her testimony.

Tuason argued that her testimony was consistent but “may be lacking in details” due to her old age.

Deep remorse

When asked about how she felt regarding critics doubting her credibility as a state witness, Tuason replied that she is not covering up for anybody.

“You cannot please everybody. As far as I’m concerned, my conscience is clean,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Tuason said that she only chose to deal with two politicians during the scam, namely Senator Jinggoy Estrada and Senator Juan Ponce Enrile’s former Chief of Staff Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes.

Tuason also explained that there is no truth to Enrile safeguarding her.

“If I had anything to do with Senator Enrile, why would I say I was supposed to have coffee with him?” Tuason said.

Furthermore, she explained that her childhood friendship with Estrada prompted her to give funds for the senator’s campaign in the 2010 national elections.

Tuason said that one of the reasons she participated in the scam was to help friends who were asking for medical assistance.

“I felt that maybe I can help them. I sacrificed my values for our friendship,” she said.

In her testimony at the Senate, Tuason explained that her grandchildren played a key role in her return to the Philippines. She during the forum that she hopes that they will not make the same mistakes she did.

“If you made a mistake, admit it, and do something about it.”

When asked how Tuason wanted the Philippines to remember her for, she said that she was “really very sorry” and hopes that her coming out as a witness will encourage other witnesses to emerge as well.