‘P8-M check part of opposition conspiracy’

President Estrada shrugged off yesterday the latest bombshell dropped by the prosecution in his impeachment trial, saying the evidence was merely part of the political opposition’s conspiracy to destroy him and his family.

The President was referring to a canceled P8-million check made out on Sept. 29, 1999 by Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson and allegedly deposited in the account of First Lady Luisa "Loi" Ejercito with the Citibank branch in Greenhills, San Juan.

The pay-to-cash check was leaked to the media by prosecutor Makati City Rep. Joker Arroyo at the sidelines of the impeachment trial last Friday.

"Let him (Arroyo) present that (at the trial). I cannot talk on her behalf because it is in the impeachment court," Mr. Estrada told reporters.

The President hinted that his political enemies would do anything just to put him down.

He charged that the ultimate objective of the opposition is to destroy him and his family.

"If they cannot destroy me, they will destroy my family. If they can only hit my mother, they will do that also if only to destroy me," the President said.

Singson, former drinking buddy and political ally of Mr. Estrada, testified earlier that the First Lady, along with presidential son and San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada, got part of P130 million in kickbacks out of a P200-million tobacco excise tax remittance for Ilocos Sur.

Ambassador Ernesto Maceda, acting as the President’s spokesman for the impeachment trial, said Arroyo’s bombshell only achieved a "dramatic impact" but does not qualify as a legally admissible evidence in the impeachment case.

"Firstly, the First Lady is not under impeachment. Secondly, it is not part of any of the four articles of impeachment," Maceda pointed out.

He added that it was possible the P8 million went to Mrs. Ejercito’s charitable undertakings.

Maceda said he is yielding the task of presidential spokesman for the impeachment trial to newly installed Executive Secretary Edgardo Angara.

Meanwhile, the President refused to comment on a subpoena issued by the impeachment tribunal headed by Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. on his friend, Jaime Dichaves who has claimed ownership of the controversial Jose Velarde account at the Equitable-PCI Bank.

"As I have said, I will not say anything about the impeachment. I will talk about it. I will wait for the decision," Mr. Estrada said.

Prosecution says it will finish case within the month

The 11-member prosecution team from the House of Representatives expressed optimism it can finish presenting its impeachment case against Mr. Estrada within the month.

Pampanga Rep. Oscar Rodriguez said all they need is six days to present their evidence on the last two articles of impeachment — culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust.

"We in the prosecution are 99.9 percent sure that we can finish the impeachment case before the campaign period starts in February," Rodriguez said at a weekly forum in Quezon City.

He said the prosecution has at least seven witnesses to present for three days on the betrayal of public trust allegation.

He identified one of the witnesses as former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Perfecto Yasay Jr., whose testimony would seek to prove that Mr. Estrada tried to influence the outcome of an SEC investigation on alleged stock price manipulation involving the Best World (BW) Resources owned by presidential crony Dante Tan.

Two other witnesses from the SEC and the Philippine Stock Exchange will testify to corroborate Yasay’s statements on the BW fiasco.

Both officials reportedly quit their jobs in protest over the President’s directive to clear the names of his friends in the BW controversy. — Marichu Villanueva, Cecille Suerte Felipe