In a statement, Cojuangco said the reports are not true and "it is unfortunate that these false allegations, being made by some persons hiding behind the cloak of anonymity, have been given credence by some sectors in the media."
Cojuangco also branded such moves as outright cowardice and challenged these anonymous sources to come out in the open to determine the truth.
He stressed that numerous government requirements for private aircraft to fly out of the country make it irrational for him to be accused of participating in a mission to slip Estrada out of the country.
Some of these requirements are Air Transporation Office (ATO) clearances, police permits, statements of flight’s mission, passenger manifest, landing permits from the destination that requires clearance from the country of origin and fly-over clearances from countries along the flight path.
All the aircraft he owns, Cojuangco emphasized, comply with these requirements in full.
His lawmaker-nephew, Tarlac Rep. Gilberto Teodoro Jr. of Tarlac also branded the reports as baseless.
Cojuangco, a known friend and patron of Estrada, is chairman emeritus of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).
He said his name has been "conveniently and maliciously" used "by those with selfish motives and interest riding on unverified allegations that are nothing but falsehoods."
He likewise decried the false allegations made by some airport officials who identified as one of his planes the aircraft shown in news footage of the supposed escape try.
Teodoro, who chairs the NPC executive committee, wrote Armed Forces chief Gen. Angelo Reyes demanding an inquiry into the source of the report linking his uncle to Estrada’s alleged escape try.
"Our chairman, Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., has not, is not and will not be a party to any violation of the law and the notion that he will aid former President Estrada in escaping is absolutely false," he said.
Teodoro asked Reyes to confirm or deny the report about the San Miguel chairman’s alleged involvement in the escape attempt of the ousted president.
If there is such an information, the responsible officer should reveal its basis, and if there is none, the Armed Forces should make a public statement saying so, he said.
He added that in case some military officers are just spreading rumors, they should be investigated and punished.
Teodoro stressed that as lawmakers, NPC members have the duty to ensure that the AFP "is not used by undesirable elements for their personal ends." - Jess Diaz