Solon calls for support for Equitable-PCI

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Pampanga Rep. Oscar Rodriguez called on clients of Equitable-PCI Bank yesterday to continue supporting the bank as their way of thanking its officials for "exposing the truth" regarding President Estrada’s role in the "Jose Velarde" account.

Rodriguez, one of 11 prosecutors in Mr. Estrada’s impeachment trial, told reporters Equitable-PCI executive Clarissa Ocampo had approached the prosecutors and insisted on testifying at the impeachment trial last Friday.

"I think we owe it to the officials of Equitable-PCI our gratitude, particularly for the testimony of Clarissa Ocampo," he said.

"One way of showing our gratitude to bank officials is by not withdrawing from the bank unless necessary and returning amounts which have been withdrawn as a result of some adverse effects of initial negative information on its role in the account of one Jose Velarde," he said.

Rodriguez said Ocampo’s testimony was "very damaging" and any further insistence of Mr. Estrada that he is not Jose Velarde is no longer credible.

"There had been insinuations that documents submitted by the bank for the impeachment trial were tampered with and this is not true," he said.

Last Friday, Ocampo testified at the impeachment trial that she saw Mr. Estrada sign the name "Jose Velarde" on bank documents that she had brought to Malacañang.

In a statement the other day, Ricardo Romulo, the new chairman of Equitable-PCI Bank, said: "As our corporate name was being sullied in media, Ms. Ocampo was already in touch with the intermediaries of the bank and the prosecution, days before she appeared before the court."

Rodriguez said he was among the "intermediaries" mentioned by Romulo, and that he had met Ocampo through a relative who is a friend of her lawyer.

Rodriguez said he was not aware of a "bigger bombshell" to be presented by the prosecution when the impeachment trial resumes on Jan. 2.

"We have not yet fully decided on the witnesses," he said.

Meanwhile, the Social Security System (SSS) said yesterday its investment in Equitable-PCI Bank has been one of its top equity earners this year and its earnings are expected to grow in the long term.

SSS chairman and president Carlos Arellano said the country’s political crisis has affected the share prices in the stock market but that the SSS believes this condition offers opportunities to acquire blue-chip stocks, including Equitable-PCI Bank. – Ding Cervantes