Estrada sought asylum in Bangkok — Thai paper

Deposed President Joseph Estrada applied for political asylum in Thailand last week but was turned down, The Nation newspaper of Bangkok reported yesterday.

The daily quoted an un-identified Thai government source as saying Estrada, who is facing criminal charges of corruption and economic plunder, made the request by phoning the Thai ambassador to the Philippines.

"The answer we gave was an absolute no," the report quoted the Thai official as saying.

But Estrada spokesman Ramon Cardenas, former deputy executive secretary, denied the report. "That’s absurd," Cardenas said. "(Estrada) has not contacted any foreign government for that. He’s getting to be an international character. They’re making him travel to so many areas already."

While the Thai Embassy in Manila declined to comment, Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai denied receiving any formal request for asylum from Estrada.

"There hasn’t been any formal request from the Philippines," Surakiart said in Kuala Lumpur after talks with his Malaysian counterpart Syed Hamid Albar.

"If there were any request, it will be to my surprise because from what we have been informed, the Philippines doesn’t Like the former president to leave the country and if the request has been lodged to us for asylum, it seems to be in contradiction," Surakiart said.

Syed Hamid likewise denied that a request for asylum had been lodged with Malaysia.

"We have no such news... we are not a country for asylum," Syed Hamid said.

In its report, however, The Nation said Thailand already had its hands full with border problems with Myanmar and the sabotage of a plane that was to carry Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The source said Thailand would also risk criticism from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) if it agreed to Estrada’s request, The Nation reported.

The Thai official also told The Nation that Estrada, ousted on Jan. 20 after a military-backed civilian uprising, also made similar requests with the US, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, through their embassies in Manila.

US Embassy spokesman Thomas Skipper said there has been no request for asylum and the US government "respects" the hold-departure order the Philippine government issued against Estrada last month.

"As we have said in the past, there has been no request and the United States has made no offer to allow former President Estrada to go to the United States," Skipper said.

The US and the Philippines have closely cooperated in the past for the implementation of an existing extradition treaty.

"We understand that there is a hold-departure order against Estrada leaving the Philippines and the US government respects that order," Skipper added.

Asked about the report, visiting Malaysian Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz said she had not heard of the report but expressed doubt that Estrada would seek asylum in Malaysia.

"I don’t think he will go to Asean countries. It’s so close to home," Aziz said, refraining from commenting on how the Malaysia feels about Estrada who once publicly supported jailed former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister turned oppositionist Anwar Ibrahim.

She said, however, that Estrada would not be able to meet with Ibrahim who is in jail for corruption and sodomy.

"He needs a special pass to visit Anwar," said Aziz, who was accompanying a Malaysian business mission meant to repair ties strained during the Estrada administration.

Spokesmen for the Indonesian and Brunei embassies, for their part, said they had no information from their home offices of any such request for asylum.

While the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it is still verifying the report, Vice President and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teofisto Guingona Jr. confirmed the government last week alerted at least seven neighboring countries on fears that Estrada would flee the country to escape criminal prosecution.

Guingona said the alert was relayed to seven unnamed Asian nations after the Supreme Court unanimously voted to uphold the legitimacy of the Arroyo administration and reject Estrada’s claim to immunity from prosecution.

"There were alerts given to the different embassies in the seven surrounding countries for possible escape of the former president," Guingona told reporters.

Estrada being prosecuted, not persecuted — Tito

But though there is the "escape scenario," Guingona said Estrada would not actually qualify for asylum because he is not being politically persecuted but "criminally prosecuted."

"Exile should only be accepted when there is political, legal, racial or religious persecution. I don’t think there is any persecution. He brought this up all by himself, by his friends who are turning their backs on him," Guingona said.

"We are not persecuting him in any way. We are only prosecuting him in accordance with Philippine law," he added.

Guingona said that the government is not asking its neighbors to block any attempt by Estrada to flee but he suggested the government would be unhappy if Estrada were accommodated.

"Whether they receive him or not, it’s up to them," he said, adding that the government would ask for Estrada’s extradition if a treaty existed with the country concerned.

"If we have friendly ties, this acceptance will be interpreted as an unfriendly act," Guingona said.

"If they are our friend, they should not give shelter to a person who is being prosecuted according to laws of the Philippines," he said.

Meanwhile, authorities continued to tighten security against Estrada’s feared flight from criminal prosecution.

"We still believe that despite repeated denials from the Estrada camp, the former president continues to entertain plans of escaping to another country," said Ninoy Aquino International Airport general manager Edgardo Manda.

Manda said Estrada’s flight to Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur caused some official panic after the former president’s name was inserted in the passenger manifest of a Lear jet, owned by charter firm Subic Air, when the aircraft was already preparing to take off.

Officials of the Air Transportation Office (ATO) said the insertion was a serious violation of ATO rules that would be dealt with severely if repeated.

Manda said airport authorities have also placed all Subic Air flights under close scrutiny after the charter firm submitted "open flight plans" to the ATO up to March10.

"We know that Subic Air has submitted open flight plans to the ATO from March 5 up to March 10," he said, noting that physical checks are now conducted on all Subic Air flights to ascertain if Estrada is on board.

Manda added that he has a "hot line" to the air control tower of airports all over the country while the Philippine Air Force would be responsible in monitoring flights from private airstrips. — With reports from Rey Arquiza