Erap wants reporter, ex-police official to testify

President Joseph Estrada’s lawyers asked the Sandiganbayan yesterday to summon a newspaper reporter and a retired police official to testify for the defense at his corruption trial.

They are seeking to destroy the credibility of one of the prosecution’s main witnesses, Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson, whose corruption allegations against Estrada brought down the disgraced leader in 2001.

Defense lawyers want to question Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter Norman Bordadora about a news story he wrote in May, which reported that Singson was no longer involved in jueteng.

They are also challenging Singson’s earlier testimony that he had "never been into jueteng."

Retired police superintendent Wenceslao Sombero may also be called to the witness stand to be questioned about Singson.

Sombero wrote a special report for The Manila Times last May in which he said that a short-lived state-run lottery game, Bingo 2-Ball, supervised by Estrada associate and suspected jueteng operator Charlie "Atong" Ang, "triggered the series of events that eventually cost Estrada the presidency."

Defense attorneys contend that Singson had a falling out with his drinking buddy because he saw Bingo 2-Ball as a "threat to his control of jueteng" in his province.

Estrada was ousted in January 2001 by a military-backed popular uprising following Singson’s allegations that Estrada ran an illegal gambling protection racket and pocketed state funds intended for tobacco farmers during his 31-month presidency. — Delon Porcalla