Sen. Jinggoy Estrada Sets Up Sen. Kiko Pangilinan w/ Senate Guest during Session
JINGGOY ESTRADA – The Senator drew flak for matching up Gilas Pilipinas Women Prospect Elizabeth Jeanette Means with Sen. Kiko Pangilinan.
The set of senators for the 20th Congress is composed of individuals coming from different walks of life. Some of them are long-time politicians while others were from the showbiz industry. Amid the flood control mess, the Senate had a shakeup after some senators were tagged in the supposed multi-billion corruption issue in the country.
Sen. Jinggoy is one of the senators tagged in the alleged flood control corruption in the country aside from his long-time friend, former Sen. Bong Revilla. Both Estrada and Revilla were previously detained due to their alleged involvement to the controversial Pork Barrel scam which was also tagged as the biggest corruption issue in the country — prior to the flood control mess.
Estrada earned countless negative comments over his alleged involvement in the flood control mess. Recently, he drew flak during a Senate session.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada earned massive criticisms online following his controversial remarks during a Senate hearing about the naturalization of foreign athletes. According to ABS-CBN News, the Senator jokingly matched his colleague in the Senate, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, with Gilas Pilipinas women prospect Elizabeth Jeanette Means.
During the session of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights over the naturalization of athletes, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada asked Filipino-American basketball player Elizabeth Jeannette Means if she had a Filipino boyfriend. The athlete responded in the negative.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada then joked that Sen. Kiko Pangilinan might want to “apply” to be the boyfriend of the Filipino-American athlete. Based on the post, Pangilinan was quick to dismiss the joke of his fellow senator.
“Magagalit ‘yong kumander,” Pangilinan said.
The exchange drew laughter during the session but it did not sit well with countless viewers. Estrada apologized to Pangilinan’s wife, Megastar Sharon Cuneta, during the session. Some netizens took the scenario as allegedly trivializing the presence of the Fil-Am athlete and shifting away the focus of the session from an important matter.
Several netizens also noted the alleged lack of respect and decency in the action of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada during a formal event wherein important matters are being discussed. Here are some of the comments on the post:
“sa ibang bansa walang ganito never. pinalaking mga tama mambabatas. ito sobrang unethical.”‘
“Nakakamis talaga ung mga senador noong late 2000 hngng 2012. Matitino at hndi bakla.“
“Sen Jinggoy, do you have a Filipino boyfriend?“
“yung nakakpag joke kna sa hearing kase feeling safe na. Nakaka limutan na ng taong bayan ang corruption sa flood control.“
Previously, Senate President Tito Sotto confirmed that the name of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is one of those mentioned in the Blue Ribbon’s flood control report.