Erap asks Sandigan to allow him to file charges vs Joelle

Ousted President Joseph Estrada formally asked the Sandiganbayan special division yesterday to allow him to leave his Tanay, Rizal detention place on Friday to file libel charges against a former beauty queen, who had accused him of involvement in money-laundering, and four other people before the Manila city prosecutor’s office.

In a three-page urgent motion, the 69-year-old Estrada also asked the anti-graft court for permission to visit the San Juan Medical Center for a medical check-up after filing his libel suit.

"As one with his history of ailments, and now going on 70, the principal accused also needs a regular examination," said former senator Rene Saguisag, Estrada’s lawyer.

"The Manila Standard Today has repeatedly linked him to money-laundering, which was not proven here, so that a last desperate wave of malicious attacks has been launched against him in the media.

"And yet, we understand that no such charge has in fact been lodged against him, the evil purpose behind the libelous publication being only to stoke public prejudice against him."

"Therefore he has chosen to fight back with a libel suit this week to vindicate the family name," Saguisag said in his motion.

In the same motion, Saguisag also informed the court that defense lawyers are mulling over the possibility of calling back to the witness stand the government’s star witness, Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson, on Monday.

Saguisag said they would want the prosecution to stipulate on Singson’s motive for testifying against Estrada.

"He (Singson) keeps telling the nation for instance that he would not have testified against the principal accused (Estrada) had he not tried to have the governor murdered," he said.

"This is untrue, and we may recall him to the witness stand for that... We would like to have the prosecution stipulate on such regular annotation of the governor, on his motive for testifying against the principal accused.

"For our purposes, we would simply seek a stipulation that he

keeps telling the media after hearings that because the movants wanted him done in, he decided to testify against the principal accused, President Estrada, and here, incidentally, we commend the honorable Special Prosecutor for the courtesy of addressing him via such honorific," Saguisag said.

Earlier, former immigration commissioner Rufus Rodriguez, another defense lawyer, said Estrada will be filing a P30-million libel suit against former beauty queen Joelle Pelaez, her mother Blanquita Pelaez, the editor-in-chief and publisher of the newspaper Manila Standard Today and one of its reporters, Christine Herrera.

Rodriguez said Estrada was libeled when Manila Standard Today printed a series of stories written by Herrera, where Joelle had alleged that Estrada was involved in money-laundering.

In those series of articles that appeared in the Manila Standard Today, Joelle Pelaez also accused Estrada and eight other people of using her name and forging her signature to launder P2.07 billion worth of shares of stocks, securities, bonds and other certificates of indebtedness through their transactions with the government-controlled United Coconut Planters Bank.

Meanwhile, a UCPB executive disputed Pelaez’s claim that her name was used to launder money in large investments.

In a letter to the National Bureau of Investigation, lawyer Edgardo Balbin, UCPB first vice president, said documents have disproved the claim of Pelaez.

Balbin said the face amounts of the investment instruments (commercial papers) which Pelaez had obtained were much larger than the amount of her participation.

This showed that other investors had participated without using her name, he added.

Balbin said NBI records confirmed Pelaez’s claim that she indeed had loan and investment transactions with UCPB.

NBI records showed that Pelaez obtained a short-term loan of P5 million from UCPB on Feb. 24, 2000, and that the maturity date was Feb. 16, 2001, he added.

Balbin said of the P5-million proceeds, Pelaez invested P3 million in government securities and commercial papers.

Pelaez paid P454,671 in interests on the loan for six months on various dates, he added.

Balbin said the P2-million balance was released to Pelaez and her mother, Blanquita Pelaez.

Of the amount, P1.6 million in manager’s checks was given to Blanquita, and P400,000 to Pelaez, he added.

Balbin said Pelaez defaulted in the payment of the amortization and interest, prompting UCPB to file a collection suit against her and her mother, who was the accommodation party, on March 30, 2001.

On Nov. 20, 2001, UCPB got a favorable decision from the Makati Regional Trial Court, but the ruling limited Blanquita’s liability to P400,000, he added.

Balbin said a subsequent motion for reconsideration was denied by the court, prompting the UCPB to elevate the case to the Court of Appeals on Jan. 9, 2004.

The CA decided in favor of UCPB and Blanquita was made liable for the entire amount of the loan, he added.

Balbin said on July 12, 2005, the Makati court’s sheriff conducted an auction sale of Pelaez’s collaterals-two condominium units. UCPB was the highest bidder with its offer of P3,328,000 for the two properties, he added. — Mike Frialde