Estrada to Ang: Don’t testify against me

Apparently worried that one of his closest allies would betray him, deposed President Joseph Estrada has called a sister of his friend Charlie "Atong" Ang to check whether the former gaming consultant would testify against him.

Estrada allegedly asked the Ang family to stop Charlie from giving the Arroyo administration any testimony that could pin down the deposed president on charges of corruption and plunder.

A source from the ruling Lakas-NUCD said the Ang family gave assurances that Charlie would not turn state witness in Estrada’s expected trial for corruption and economic plunder.

This developed as President Arroyo gave Justice Secretary Hernando Perez a free hand yesterday in deciding who among the allies and cronies of Estrada should be given immunity in exchange for turning state witness.

Ang is one of Estrada’s friends who have offered to testify against him in exchange for immunity from criminal prosecution.

Estrada was forced to step down in a military-backed popular uprising last Jan. 20 and was replaced by Mrs. Arroyo, his vice president.

The bloodless revolt, dubbed people power II, was triggered by public outrage over a move by pro-Estrada senators to block the presentation of damning evidence on his secret bank accounts in his impeachment trial.

The 63-year-old former movie actor was impeached by the House of Representatives in November. He was tried by the Senate on charges of bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.

Perez has said he was carefully studying the offers of Estrada allies to testify against the fallen leader on charges of corruption and economic plunder.

Among those who have offered to turn state witness are controversial businessman Mark Jimenez, who is facing extradition to the United States, and Filipino-Chinese businessman Jaime Dichaves.

Sources at the justice department said Jimenez can be given immunity "if he tells all he knows."

Ombudsman Aniano Desierto said earlier Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson, who blew the whistle on Estrada’s alleged involvement in jueteng operations in the country early last October, has a good chance of getting immunity.

Singson claimed he delivered more than P400 million in protection money from illegal gambling operators and P130 million in kickbacks from tobacco excise tax remittance for his province.

State prosecutors said they would file three more cases of economic plunder against Estrada, bringing to 10 the total number of such cases lodged against the disgraced president.

The complaints covered Estrada’s alleged ill-gotten wealth, including an estimated P15 billion in secret bank accounts under fictitious names, and involvement in massive stock price manipulation and insider trading.

Meanwhile, Sen. Renato Cayetano, chairman of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, urged his colleagues to act on a bill seeking to protect informants by granting them immunity from civil and criminal prosecution.

Cayetano also said the measure authored by Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. must be amended to cover witnesses in all cases filed against public officials.

Under Senate bill 1779, persons who can help identify, locate and recover ill-gotten wealth of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, his family and cronies, are entitled to rewards equivalent to 15 percent of the amount recovered.

The rewards shall be tax-free and to be paid retroactively.

Officers and employees of banks and other financial firms who provided vital information leading to the recovery of ill-gotten wealth shall be immune from administrative sanctions by their employers.

In another development, Senate Minority Leader Teofisto Guingona Jr. said Estrada might suffer the same fate that befell other disgraced leaders.

In his weekly radio program, Guingona said except for resigned Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, former leaders of Chile, Indonesia and South Korea were prosecuted for the crimes they committed while in office.

Despite failing health, former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet was tried as demanded by the people.

Fujimori escaped criminal prosecution after he sought asylum in Japan.

Guingona said it would be easier to prosecute Estrada because the former leader opted to stay in the country and face the music. — With reports from Perseus Echeminada, Aurora Alambra