Senators hit House resolution seeking end to jueteng probe

Senate President Pro Tempore Blas Ople and Sen. Gringo Honasan have frowned upon a request by the House of Representatives to stop the Senate’s inquiry into allegations that President Estrada received millions of pesos from illegal gambling operations and a tax kickback.

Ople said inter-parliamentary courtesy dictates that the House not interfere with the internal affairs of the Senate.

The request was contained in House Resolution 1836, introduced by the committee on justice and approved by the larger chamber. Congressmen explained that the appeal was made because an impeachment complaint against the President is now pending in the justice committee, and that such complaint could eventually be sent to the Senate for trial.

Ople, however, insisted the Senate cannot be prevented by the House from proceeding with the inquiry.

"The House resolution is uncalled for because it is only the Senate, as a body, that can decide whether or not to continue," the senior lawmaker said.

Honasan criticized the congressmen for asking the Senate to stop the hearings.

"The House cannot dictate upon the Senate, just as we cannot tell them what to do," Honasan said. "They should stop interfering. We already have more than our fair share of problems."

The House justice committee explained that the Senate hearings "have ventured or necessarily resulted into probing the truth of the allegations against the President of the Philippines involving alleged payoffs from the illegal gambling operations of jueteng and alleged illegal diversion of tobacco excise taxes."

Congressmen said the same accusations are part of the impeachment charges leveled by opposition congressmen and various people’s organizations against Mr. Estrada and which are now pending in the justice committee.

They pointed out the senators cannot avoid forming their respective judgments on the allegations against the President in the course of their hearings and may not therefore sit as impartial judges in the event the impeachment complaint is sent to them for trial.

The resolution also attempts to protect Mr. Estrada, who has denied having received even a centavo in jueteng money, from being publicly tried without due process. Congressmen said the inquiry is being conducted without the President’s participation, and without him being given the opportunity to answer the charges.

The inquiry into the disclosures made by former presidential ally Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson resumes its 9th day of hearings tomorrow.

Senators have so far heard the testimonies of Singson, presidential friend and suspected gambler Charlie "Atong" Ang, former Philippine National Police chief retired Deputy Director General Roberto Lastimoso, presidential sons Jinggoy and Jude Estrada, Presidential Legislative Liaison Office chief Secretary Jose Jaime Policarpio, Philippine Gaming and Amusement Corp. Chairwoman Alice Reyes and officials of the Land Bank of the Philippines.

Yolanda Ricaforte, who allegedly served as the President’s auditor for the payoffs, is expected to testify tomorrow.

Money delivered in black attaché cases like a scene from a Mafia movie.

Estranged presidential drinking buddy Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson said if he was not delivering bundles of illegal gambling money to President Estrada in a bayong or baskets, he would deliver them in a black attaché case.

He would then swap this with an empty case Mr. Estrada kept in his office. Singson said both cases looked identical to avoid suspicion.

"I have accumulated about five empty attaché cases in his office. As soon as I’m about to leave, I get one so that people outside his office wouldn’t notice," he said in Filipino. "Kailangan mayroon kang basyo para hindi halata."

Singson said the money would be in P1,000 bills. The attaché case could accommodate several bundles, up to P7 million in cash. "One million is only five bundles of P1,000 bills, and although the suit case is not branded, it’s quite big," he said.

For two years he delivered money every 15 days right in Malacañang, Singson said, and the combination of the attaché case’s lock was always "000."

"Once I changed the security number to 419 (taken from Mr. Estrada’s birthday, April 19) so that nobody could open it. After leaving, he called up my cellular phone and told me to use the old number because he couldn’t open it," Singson recalled with a laugh.

Mr. Estrada wanted the old number back because it was easy to remember, Singson said. "Ibalik mo na nga ito sa dating number at hirap na hirap akong buksan," he quoted Mr. Estrada as saying.

Mr. Estrada would order his security men from the ever-present Presidential Security Group not to subject Singson to a security check, Singson said, to prevent anyone from discovering the contents of the attaché case.

But that only attracted more suspicion, including that from Cabinet members who – despite their positions – were still subjected to security checks.

"Nahihiya na nga ako sa mga Cabinet member. Minsan ‘di na lang ako tumitingin kasi talagang nakakahiya na. Alam nila iyon (I can’t look Cabinet members in the face because they know about it)," Singson said.

Mr. Estrada would count the money and later hand it to people tasked to supervise the construction of mansions he was building for his several mistresses, Singson said. – With Delon Porcalla