2 more witnesses testify in Erap kickback case

Two more witnesses have spilled the beans on former President Joseph Estrada’s alleged multimillion kickbacks from investments made by the country’s two state-run pension funds in the gaming firm Belle Corp.

"They have revealed to us their personal knowledge of the overt acts of Estrada in amassing wealth in the Belle Corp. investments," Ombudsman Aniano Desierto said but refused to reveal details.

The testimony of the two new witnesses will supposedly prove the Ombudsman’s charge that Estrada forced the Social Security System (SSS) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) to invest in Belle Corp, which operates the jai alai games in the country.

Former SSS president Carlos Arellano and former GSIS president Federico Pascual had testified that Estrada ordered them to invest a total of P1.8 billion of SSS and GSIS funds in the stocks of Belle Corp in October 1999.

The two pension fund managers said they would not have recommended investing in Belle Corp. stocks in October 1999 had Estrada not pressured them into making the investment.

Belle Corp., a listed leisure and gaming firm, was downgraded to "speculative" status after the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

The pressure Estrada allegedly applied on Arellano and Pascual is among the acts or series of acts in Estrada’s alleged plunder of the economy.

The testimony of Arellano and Pascual will supposedly be corroborated by newly-elected Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez.

The former president, along with his son outgoing San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada and five others, are set to be arraigned for plunder before the third division of the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.

Meanwhile, congressman-elect Satur Ocampo described as mere "caprice" Estrada’s request to be allowed to attend social functions like the inauguration of his son, San Juan Mayor-elect Joseph Victor Ejercito, and his wife, Senator-elect Luisa Ejercito.

Estrada on Wednesday asked the Sandiganbayan to allow him to attend his son’s and wife’s oath-taking and also to attend the opening of Congress in July.

Ocampo stressed Estrada and his son Jinggoy should immediately be sent back to their detention bungalow inside Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center where they have been undergoing medical tests.

Government doctors said on Wednesday that while several illnesses continue to affect the Estradas’ health, they are now ready to be remanded to Fort Sto. Domingo, a training facility of the police’s Special Action Force.

"These are but the latest in a series of attempts of the Estrada camp to secure privileges from the government. He must in no way be accorded such," Ocampo said. – With Sandy Araneta