Estrada defends mistresses

President Estrada defended yesterday former starlet Laarni Enriquez and the other women in his life following calls that they be summoned as hostile witnesses during his impeachment trial.

The Chief Executive told The STAR the plan of the 11 prosecutors from the House of Representatives is an attempt to embarrass him.

"Why include them?" he asked. "Perhaps their only plan is to embarrass me. But if there is no need for them to appear, since I am the one being accused here, then I should be the one."

Earlier, the prosecutors indicated they would call as witnesses Enriquez, along with Guia Gomez, Joy Melendrez, and Rowena Lopez, who are all linked with Mr. Estrada.

Speaking over three radio programs yesterday morning, President Estrada lashed out at a national newspaper for printing "erroneous" reports that he had given Enriquez four townhouses standing on a Cubao, Quezon City property belonging to him and First Lady Luisa Ejercito Estrada.

The Chief Executive said he and Mrs. Estrada had agreed to grant the property to Enriquez as usufruct, which under the law is the right to use and enjoy the profits and advantages of something belonging to another as long as the property is not damaged or altered in any way.

"I bought (the lot) in 1988-89 from Letty Montenegro, widow of the late actor Mario Montenegro," he said. "I asked Doctora about this. She knows about my children with Laarni and that’s the truth, there’s no use hiding this fact."

Mr. Estrada said he had paid for the property on installment and after he had completed payment, the six-door apartment was transferred to the name of his children by Enriquez.

"So I was truthful to Doctora and she acceded that the six-door apartment (be given to the Enriquez children)," he said.

As for flight attendant Rowena Lopez, President Estrada said he has "no relations with her," and that she just had "a photograph taken with me."

The color photograph of Mr. Estrada and Lopez, who was being romantically linked with him, was published on the front page of a national newspaper.

The Chief Executive said: "I got to know her (Lopez) about two months (after assuming office) when the teasing started. Because of this teasing, she was linked to me. But the truth is we have no relations. She just had her photo taken with me."

Mr. Estrada told The STAR yesterday the controversial mansion in Wack Wack in Mandaluyong City, which had appeared in newspapers, does not belong to Enriquez.

"She (Enriquez) sold this property and since she was the agent, she earned out of it. So while a new house is being built, she was asked to live there because she was the agent to care for it for Mr. (Jack) Ng who owns the lot."

The President said Enriquez is very industrious and works as a real estate agent for her rich friends.

"It will be proven that Laarni was merely an agent here," he said. "Of course, when residents see her there, they thought she owns the house. But the truth is she is just an agent there and was asked to look after it by her friend, Mrs. Mercedita Yong."

"We were able to put up so many apartments during those times I was still active in the movies," he said. "That’s the truth. So all of these so-called ‘mansions’ are nothing but lies."

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) may stop its investigation of the five mansions allegedly owned by President Estrada.

Reliable sources told The STAR yesterday acting NBI Director Carlos Caabay has already sought the opinion of Justice Secretary Artemio Tuquero.

NBI Director Federico Opinion Jr. has been on sick leave since Nov. 13. He is reportedly undergoing treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Quezon City.

The chiefs of the five NBI task forces assigned to conduct the investigation fear that they may be declared them in contempt of the Senate, which will start hearing President Estrada’s impeachment trial on Dec. 7, sources added.

Last Oct. 31, Tuquero ordered the NBI to find out if the Chief Executive actually owns the five controversial mansions.–Marichu Villanueva and Mike Frialde.