Cops in Erap villa visits invoke right vs self-incrimination

Police officials facing contempt charges for allegedly allowing former President Joseph Estrada to leave detention and visit his villa in Tanay, Rizal have invoked their right against self-incrimination and have asked the court to defer hearings on the alleged preferential treatment granted to Estrada.

Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), and Chief Superintendent Rolando Sacramento, head of Estrada’s police detail, were slapped with contempt charges by the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court for allowing Estrada to spend time in his villa outside an Army camp in Tanay, where he is being detained, without prior court permission.

Under questioning from chief state prosecutor Dennis Villa Ignacio, Sacramento invoked their right against self-incrimination after giving details about Estrada’s visits that could be construed as incriminating.

Ebdane and Sacramento deny giviing preferential treatment to Estrada.

They later asked the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court to defer hearings until the PNP finishes its probe on the issue. The three-member special division formed to try Estrada’s case set the next hearing on May 20.

They also contend the contempt proceedings were an "improper procedure" because the court did not "specify and elucidate" their alleged violations.

Estrada was moved to Camp Capinpin on Oct. 16 last year because of alleged "terrorist threats" by unnamed groups.

State prosecutors have asked the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court to have Estrada’s place of detention transferred back to Veterans Memorial Medical Center, a military hospital in Quezon City, to prevent him from going on unauthorized furloughs.

Estrada is on trial for allegedly running an illegal gambling protection racket and plundering government coffers during his aborted 31-month presidency.

He was toppled by a popular protest in January 2001 following massive corruption charges, which he denies.

A group of anti-corruption activists, PlunderWatch, filed a criminal complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman recently against President Arroyo, Ebdane, Sacramento and Michael Defensor, Mrs. Arroyo’s campaign spokesman.

The complaint contends that Mrs. Arroyo and the others gave their consent.

Mrs. Arroyo, however, enjoys immunity and a case against her cannot be filed in court unless she is impeached or out of office.

Estrada earlier denied critics’ accusations that he has been put under house arrest in his Mediterranean-style villa.

Malacañang dismissed the complaint against Mrs. Arroyo as "baseless."

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said it was Mrs. Arroyo’s policy that "human consideration should be extended to the former president within the bounds of law."

Estrada may be allowed further visits to his villa "as long as these are within the bounds of law, within the bounds of regulations, for as long as they do not violate any internal policies of the jailers."

Critics suspect Mrs. Arroyo had struck a deal with Estrada to soften up the opposition ahead of the May 10 elections and boost Mrs. Arroyo’s bid for another term.

Mrs. Arroyo is facing a tough challenge from movie star Fernando Poe Jr., a close friend of Estrada.

Poe is expected to win the presidential race because of his movie star popularity although he does not have experience in holding public office.

Mrs. Arroyo warns the country’s economic recovery efforts would suffer if Poe is elected, saying it would repeat Estrada’s failed presidency.

Appealing to the poor, which make up nearly half of the country’s population, Estrada, a former actor himself, won the 1998 elections by a landslide because of his movie star popularity.