Chavit to Erap: Prove your innocence instead of attacking me

Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson challenged ousted President Joseph Estrada yesterday to use his appearances in court to prove his innocence on the charges of plunder and perjury instead of attacking his credibility as the government’s star witness.

"After two days on the witness stand and months of preparation by his more than a dozen lawyers, Estrada has not yet presented any piece of document or issued any concrete testimony to back up his desperate lie of innocence," he said in a statement.

"Instead, he was using his appearances before the (Sandiganbayan) special division to publicly discredit me, which will not do anything for his case."

Singson, who had accused Estrada of pocketing kickbacks from P200 million in Ilocos Sur tobacco excise taxes and for allegedly receiving bribes from jueteng operators, said rather than presenting his own information to defend himself on the charges, Estrada took the witness stand and quoted third-party reports prepared by former National Bureau of Investigation regional director Carlos Saunar.

"Like those who are following the plunder case, I am tired of hearing Estrada’s repeated lies and his recitals of innocence without seeing any documentary proof," he said.

"I am raring to see evidence from him. He should remember that I produced documentary evidence (against him). Not only that, they were supported and corroborated by other evidence and testimonies from other witnesses such as those of more than a dozen bank officials," Singson said.

In his court testimonies, Estrada has repeatedly called Singson a liar and denied the governor’s claim that they were close friends.

Last Wednesday, Estrada, testifying for the second time in his defense at the special division, said Singson lied in his testimony and claimed that it was the Ilocos Sur governor who had pocketed millions of pesos in tobacco excise tax earmarked for the Ilocos Sur provincial government as revealed by Saunar’s investigation.

In his second court appearance, Estrada also denied knowing persons identified by Singson as having served as bagmen for him.

Estrada also told the court during direct examination by retired Manila fiscal Jose Flaminiano, one of his lawyers, that he did not recognize a check and bank documents allegedly covering the transfer of some P130 million in tobacco excise tax kickbacks.