Jueteng exposé pulled down Estrada rating – Palace

Malacañang admitted yesterday that President Estrada’s popularity went down because of the jueteng scandal as revealed in the latest opinion survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

But despite the dip from 68 percent a few months ago to 56 percent, Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora and Press Secretary Ricardo Puno Jr. said the SWS poll showed that most Filipinos still want Mr. Estrada to remain in office despite the corruption allegations against him.

The latest SWS survey was conducted at the height of the scandal.

"Given the very serious accusations against him, I am really very surprised that the majority of our people were still in favor of him," Puno said.

As for the dip, Puno said that "depends on how you look at it."

"If you look at the continuous attacks against him by his political enemies, on the other hand, the other side will say that his popularity rating has dipped," he said.

Puno said the survey results bolstered the President’s resolve to remain in office despite the widespread clamor for his immediate resignation, and wait for the outcome of the impeachment trial.

"So at this point, many are saying that what we should really look at is the impeachment proceedings in the Senate which are all in accordance with our Constitution," he said. "So I think some of our people should really listen to what the President has been saying that no amount of demonstrations in our streets will make him resign from office because he firmly believes that all of these must come through the proper processes."

Although believing that survey results "will change from time to time," Zamora said they are "not worried about it." "We think that everybody understands that the majority of our people still don’t want the President to resign," he said.

Mr. Estrada will go on trial next month in the Senate over allegations made by estranged drinking buddy Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson that the President accepted over P400 million in bribes from jueteng bosses and P130 million skimmed from tobacco taxes intended for Singson’s province.

Department of Justice goes after Singson

Acting on Singson’s admission in a Senate investigation that he diverted tobacco taxes to the President’s pocket, Justice Secretary Artemio Tuquero has formed a three-member panel to investigate Singson.

Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño will head the panel that includes Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Apolinario Exevea and State Prosecutor Ruben Carretas.

Fifteen other Ilocos Sur provincial officials, including Vice Gov. Victor Savellano, will also be investigated aside from Singson.

Singson is facing charges of graft, malversation of public funds and plunder for failing to account for some P170 million in tobacco excise taxes from 1997 to 1999. — Marichu Villanueva, Delon Porcalla