Ruby Tuason returns

MANILA, Philippines — Ruby Tuason, "provisional" state witness in the "pork barrel" scam, returned to the Philippines after spending a month in the United States.

Tuason, who admitted to receiving P40 million in kickbacks from the multibillion-peso government funds scam, arrived in Manila on Wednesday and went to the Department of Justice on Thursday for a closed-door meeting with Secretary Leila de Lima.

Her lawyer, Dennis Manalo, had said that Tuason did not flee from plunder charges filed against her as an alleged bagwoman for businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.

Manalo said Tuason was abroad to raise P40 million, which she vowed to return to government upon her application as a state witness in the controversy.

According to previous report, Tuason was attempting to sell his real estate properties in Las Vegas but had transferred her other properties to her two sons.

The Office of the Ombudsman indicted Tuason along with Napoles and three senators for their alleged involvement in the scam.

Manalo filed a motion for reconsideration for her client to be exempted from the case as a potential state witness. Tuason is currently under the Witness Protection Program while her application for immunity is being deliberated.

Read: Ruby Tuason, Gigi Reyes seek relief from plunder raps

De Lima had described Tuason's sworn statement as "slam dunk" evidence as the socialite claimed referring Napoles to Senator Jinggoy Estrada. Tuason also allegedly brought Estrada's commission from the scam to his office in the Senate building in Pasay City. - with a report from Edu Punay