Jimenez: Estrada extorted millions of pesos from me

Now it can be told.

Businessman Mark Jimenez has come up with an affidavit accusing his friend, former President Joseph Estrada, of extorting millions of pesos from him during the two years the deposed leader was in power.

The affidavit was forwarded yesterday by the Department of Justice to the Office of the Ombudsman as evidence for the plunder charges the DOJ filed against the ousted president.

After receiving the affidavit, the DOJ immediately filed a new criminal complaint against Estrada.

In the affidavit, Jimenez said Estrada extorted and borrowed money from him, never paid him back and even threatened to harm him if he would refuse to lend him millions of pesos.

"I would issue these checks to Estrada for various considerations," he said, referring to the Bank of Commerce checks he allegedly gave to the deposed leader from December 1998 to August 2000. He noted that the checks were issued because of three reasons: Estrada extorted it, Estrada borrowed it, or the money was part of an advance for a "commission" Estrada had demanded from a government transaction.

"Estrada made several threats to me," he said. "He borrowed money from me but never repaid them."

Seven plunder charges have been filed against Estrada since he was ousted by a series of street protests in January. The charges stemmed from revelations in his impeachment trial that he had amassed billions of unexplained wealth in his 30 months in office.

Jimenez said he personally handed Estrada the checks for the money he had asked from him. One check he gave on June 1, 1999 had an amount of P126 million and was drawn from the Binondo branch of Bank of Commerce. Another check, he said, had P75 million while the others had P27 million, P23 million, P20 million, P10 million and P5 million.

He affirmed the allegation of Equitable-PCI Bank executive Clarissa Ocampo that Estrada was the owner of the rich bank accounts under the false name Jose Velarde. He recalled that in August 1999, he issued a P10 million check which found its way into one of the Velarde accounts.

Jimenez served as Estrada’s adviser on Latin American affairs. Although his function was unclear, he is known as a crony of Estrada who allegedly benefited from various government deals, including the merger of Equitable and PCI banks and the acquisition of the telecommunication giant PLDT by Metro Pacific of Hong Kong.

Born as Mario Crespo, Jimenez is described as a bigtime wheeler-dealer in the United States where he is facing charges of making illegal contribution to the campaign of former President Bill Clinton, among other felonies.

The United States is requesting the Philippines to have Jimenez extradited to be tried on criminal charges. The request has yet to be heard.

Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said Jimenez’s affidavit would establish that Estrada "took advantage of his official position and influence to unjustly enrich himself at the expense of the Filipino people."

In other developments, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will not disqualify Jimenez from running for congressman of Manila’s sixth district, unless it finds a solid reason to do so.

Comelec Commissioner Resurreccion Borra said Jimenez is considered a bonafide candidate for the House of Representatives despite the US extradition request.

"There must be a complaint or a petition for disqualification that should be filed with the commission," he said. – With Pia Lee-Brago