Sen. Jinggoy Estrada called former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) investigation agent Jonathan Morales a liar and a "polluted source."
Morales has claimed to have forgotten the identity of the source of leaked documents which associate high-profile figures such as incumbent President Marcos and actress Maricel Soriano with illicit drug use.
"Alam mo, ikaw, Morales, nagbabanggit ka ng pangalan ng mga personalidad, ultimo pangalan ng Presidente, ultimo pangalan ng iba't-ibang sikat na artista, na wala ka namang ebidensiya! ... Ang sinasabi mo, galing sa informant. Ngayon ang sinasagot mo sa'kin, hindi mo natatandaan kung sino informant mo? Ha? Am I correct? 'Di mo natatandaan? Naninira ka lang ng tao eh," Estrada told Morales.
["You know, you, Morales, name personalities, even the president, even various famous stars, and you don't even have evidence! ... You say the information is from an informant. Now, you answer to my inquiry that you do not remember who your informant was? Am I correct? You can't recall their identity? You're just ruining people's reputation."]
Estrada said Morales' statements on the issue were all based on hearsay.
PDEA denied that the drug list included the President and Soriano, and Estrada believes Morales himself must have leaked the information.
Morales' credibility was also questioned for numerous reasons, one being that PDEA alleges the Personal Data Sheet (PDS) Morales had submitted upon application to the agency did not reflect the cases filed against him and times he was dismissed, dropped, and suspended from service at the Philippine National Police (PNP) from 1993 to 2008.
"Dati sampalataya ako sa kanya [Morales], pero ngayon hindi na eh," declared Morales' former immediate superior at PDEA, Investigation Service Acting Director Martin Francia.
["I used to have faith in Morales, but now I don't."]
Francia recounted that he had thought Morales to be a great investigator, but that he had many claims which were based on pure presumption, and believes them to be true.
"Madami po siyang sinasabi na ina-assume lang niya. Naga-assume siya. Sa paniniwala niya, 'yun ang totoo pero 'di naman," Francia said.
["He asserts a lot that he only assumes. He assumes things. According to his belief, these are the truth though they are not."]
Francia confirmed that for him, Morales' credibility was ruined.
He also alleged Morales did not ask him for approval to investigate the leaked documents before 2012 Deputy Director General Carlos Gadapan was involved, following the "chain of command."
To this, Morales responded that Francia did know about the operations.
Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa asked Morales if he truly forgot the informant's identity or if he was preserving an understanding between himself and the informant. He also asked whether Morales would reveal their gender.
Morales replied that the source's life would be placed in danger if he did.
Morales said that as an investigator, he had only recorded a narrative and that it was the paper's source who issued the statements. He had only reduced their testimony in their sworn statement. He claimed that the informant had come to him with five pictures, taken with a cellphone and printed out. He said he let them identify the people in the pictures and the actions represented in them.
"Your Honor, sa dami ng mga nahawakan kong kaso sa PDEA, hindi po kara-kara," Morales contended. "... Mayroon akong ibang naaalala pero pagpaumanhin po ninyo, hindi po lahat, o kabuuan, maaalala ko.
["Your Honor, with the many cases I have handled at PDEA, I have not been careless ... There are things I remember but please pardon that I will not remember everything."]
Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero later said the only one who could know whether or not the contents of the leaked documents were true was the source themself, and they should be called for should Morales disclose their identity.
"Now if that person has said something, that person would know if what he said was true or not. As an example, Mr. Chairman [Morales] mentioned his informant, whose identity he cannot remember. He is not testifying to the truth of what this informant witnessed or told him. The informant is the only person who can do that. Not Mr. Morales. So if we are to call someone [to these hearings], it is whomever he has associated with. If he can recall and reveal the informant's identity, then let it be the informant," Escudero said in Filipino.
