Estrada proves he is the best witness against himself

After an almost two-year, high-profile courtroom battle, the prosecution panel in the Estrada plunder trial has one conclusion to make: jailed former President Joseph Estrada is the best witness against himself.

Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo said that the prosecution has already presented more than 50 witnesses against the former president and has tracked down a total of P2.1 billion deposited to the now famous "Jose Velarde" account.

However, none of them is more implicating than Estrada’s own admission on national television last Feb. 25 that he signed as Jose Velarde 15 times in documents — two sets of signature cards, three sets of Investment Management Agreement, three sets of directional letters and in a one-page debit/credit authority —of the Equitable PCI Bank.

In the said television interview, Estrada admitted he signed as Jose Velarde but only as guarantor to his friend businessman William Gatchalian, owner of the Wellex Group Inc., who was getting a loan from another friend Jaime Dichaves.

Assistant Ombudsman Dennis Villa-Ignacio said that the admission is strong evidence to get a guilty verdict for Estrada in the four criminal cases against him being tried at the Sandiganbayan and in the separate charge for illegal use of an alias.

A day after admitting that he signed as Jose Velarde, Estrada personally attended his arraignment last Feb. 27 in the illegal use of an alias case without his nine lawyers and refused to enter any plea, prompting the court to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf.

After the trial, Estrada announced in an interview with ABS-CBN that he dismissed his nine lawyers citing, among other reasons, that he cannot get a "fair trial" from the court, which he described as a "Kangaroo Court" out to convict him.

The nine dismissed Estrada lawyers include former justice secretary Serafin Cuevas, former Chief Justice Andres Narvasa, former senator Rene Saguisag and lawyers Jose Flaminiano Jr., Albert Flaminiano, Cleofe Versola, Raymond Fortun, Delia Hermoso, Felix Carao and Pacifico Agabin.

Estrada’s dismissal of his private lawyers prompted special division chairwoman and acting presiding Justice Minita Chico-Nazario to appoint four lawyers from the Public Attorneys Office led by PAO director Persida Rueda-Acosta to defend Estrada.