Erap’s son involved in gambling payoff

By Dirk Beveridge

AP Writer

MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Prosecutors in President Joseph Estrada’s impeachment trial presented testimony Friday implicating the Philippine leader’s son in a scheme to collect illegal gambling payoffs.

On the second day of the unprecedented trial that could remove Estrada from office, congressmen acting as prosecutors tried to establish a paper trail showing the president accepted payoffs from an illegal numbers game played by many poor Filipinos.

Estrada stood defiant, daring prosecutors to hit him with their best shots.

“I don’t care how many bombs they drop,” Estrada told reporters at the presidential palace, Malacanang. “I’m already impeached. That’s why we have the trial now, but I believe I’ll be acquitted.”

Estrada, and the nation, were thrown into crisis in October when a provincial governor and reputed gambling lord, Luis Singson, claimed he gave the president more than $8 million from “jueteng,” an illegal numbers game, and $2.6 million from tobacco taxes.

The prosecution called an aide to Singson, Emma Lim, who testified she collected wads of cash and large checks – all jueteng proceeds – to be delivered to Estrada.

Lim described picking up $20,000 wrapped in old magazines in January from the office of Estrada’s son, Jinggoy Estrada, the mayor of San Juan, a town in metropolitan Manila.

Jinggoy Estrada has been described as a regional collector of jueteng payoffs and has been subpoenaed to testify later in the trial.

Lim said she received a second $20,000 in cash from Jinggoy Estrada in February and a check – emblazoned with the mayor’s picture – for the same amount in March.

Lim testified she collected the money on orders from Singson and said it was to be funneled to Estrada, although she provided no proof it ever was.

An Estrada lawyer, Raymond Fortun, predicted the defense could destroy Lim’s story under cross-examination.

“It’s so easy to make an accusation but the question is, ‘Where is the proof?'” Fortun said. “Let us see on cross-examination. We will test her credibility.”

Estrada is not attending the trial, expected to run at least until mid-January.

But asked during the day about his accusers, Estrada said “let us pray for those who are losing their minds.”

Prosecutors showed a check for $23,800 and a deposit slip to an Estrada aide, Anton Prieto, who allegedly handled some of the cash. Prieto testified he had never seen them before.

Lim said later she had received the check in a sealed envelope from Prieto and tried to deposit the money in Singson’s bank, but the check bounced.

Congressmen opened the trial with a flourish Thursday, spinning a tale of money, mansions and mistresses that they contend makes Estrada unfit to govern.

One of 11 prosecutors, Rep. Joker Arroyo, on Thursday compared Estrada to the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who is said to have accumulated more than $2 billion in ill-gotten wealth, and asked: “I wonder who is the bigger crook?”

Arroyo also showed pictures of mansions allegedly bought by Estrada, a former movie star, for his mistresses. Estrada is reported to have fathered seven children by five women other than his wife.

Marcos was ousted in a popular revolt in 1986. His widow, Imelda – notorious for her collection of thousands of shoes – is one of Estrada’s supporters.

Estrada faces four counts – bribery, corruption, violating the constitution and betraying the public trust – and would be thrown out of office if found guilty on any one of them.

But it would take two-thirds of the 22 senators to achieve a conviction, and with eight senators believed to be on Estrada’s side, he may have enough political clout to win acquittal.