ESTRADA PLUNDER TRIAL : Prosecution set to put Chavit on witness stand

The man who started the chain of events that led to Joseph Estrada’s downfall is expected to testify next week in former Estrada’s corruption trial on how he allegedly amassed millions in bribes from gambling lords.

Prosecutors will put former Ilocos Sur governor Luis "Chavit" Singson on the witness stand after presenting another witness, Emma Lim, a secretary of Singson, who’s expected to give a brief testimony.

Lim will take the witness stand once defense lawyers wrap up their cross examination of prosecution witness Carmencita Itchon, most likely tomorrow.

Prosecutors said Lim will corroborate Itchon’s testimony that Estrada and his son, former San Juan mayor Jinggoy Estrada, allegedly received bribes from jueteng operators across the country.

Subpoenas have already been issued on Friday for Singson, Lim and Miriam Macaraig-Esteban, a foreign correspondent of Channel News Asia.

In October 2000, Singson blew the whistle on Estrada after a quarrel over turf with Estrada associate and suspected gambling lord, Charlie "Atong" Ang, in his province.

Singson’s expose resulted in Estrada’s impeachment by Congress later that year – the first ever for a sitting Philippine president.

During the impeachment trial, pro-Estrada senators refused to admit a key evidence that prosecutors said would prove that Estrada kept secret bank account.

That resulted in a military-backed popular protest that ousted Estrada in January 2001. He was arrested on corruption charges in April that year.

In her testimony, Itchon said Singson, who hired her as an accountant for a company, Fontainbleau Inc., in 1999, acted as Estrada’s bagman who collected the money from jueteng operators.

Prosecutors allege that Estrada formed the company using jueteng bribe money in April 1999, and that Itchon’s testimony gave them an inside look on where and how Estrada received bribe money.

In their cross examination of Itchon, defense lawyers tried to pin the blame on Singson saying it was he – not Estrada – who received bribe money but Itchon stuck to her testimony.

To prove Estrada’s involvement, Itchon produced mobile phone billing statements detailing the calls of Yolanda Ricaforte, who kept records of Estrada’s kickbacks, to Estrada, Jinggoy, Singson, and two others.

Estrada lawyer Prospero Crescini said he expects no damaging testimony from Singson or Lim.

"I could not foresee any damage. Granting that the money did exist, the question is where did this money come from? Who placed that money there? And granting that the former president had indeed said something about jueteng and the Erap Muslim Youth Foundation, it is still far from proving his guilt," Crescini said.

Prosecutors allege that the foundation was used as a front for laundering Estrada’s bribe money.

Shortly before his impeachment trial began, Estrada inadvertently admitted in a press conference on Nov. 10, 2000, which Esteban attended that he received bribe money.