‘Estrada amassed jueteng wealth even before 1998’

Former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson said yesterday that jailed former President Joseph Estrada had been amassing a fortune in bribes from jueteng operators even before he assumed the presidency.

Resuming his testimony at the ongoing trial of the plunder case against Estrada before the Sandiganbayan, Singson said he delivered to the fallen leader a total of P213.5 million in protection money from jueteng operators.

Singson said Estrada was already involved with jueteng operations when he was still vice president, although on a limited scale.

He added that Estrada’s friend and gambling ally Charlie "Atong" Ang served as Estrada’s intermediary with the gambling operators. He added that Estrada’s involvement in illegal gambling became more extensive after he took over the presidency in 1998.

Singson told the Sandiganbayan special division chaired by Justice Minita Chico-Nazario that he used to accompany Ang when delivering money to Estrada’s residence on Polk street in North Greenhills, San Juan.

"I was always with Ang when he was delivering jueteng money to former President Estrada in September and October 1998," Singson said in his direct testimony.

He recalled that Ang complained that he had not been earning anything from the transactions with the jueteng operators, but asked that he be granted the sugar allocations.

However, Estrada allegedly refused Ang’s request, saying he had already given the sugar quota to somebody else.

Singson said Estrada then offered to return whatever amount Ang spent for his (Estrada’s) presidential campaign, but this irked Ang who turned his back and left.

During that incident, Singson said he was carrying P9 million in jueteng collections for Estrada.

Angered by Ang’s discourtesy, Estrada allegedly retired to his room without telling Singson what to do with the P9 million.

Singson, who was also a former political ally of Estrada, said he then decided to leave, and found Ang waiting for him outside.

"I asked Ang what I would do with the money. He told me to return the money to President Estrada," Singson said.

He also quoted Ang as saying he knew Estrada as a man with insatiable lust for money.

Getting back into the house, he said Estrada told him to keep it for the time being, and that they will talk about it later.

"The following day, he asked me to come to his house. He told me he needed the money because he had many bills to pay at the time. So I went to his house and he told me to just continue the collections of jueteng protection money, so I did. That was October 1999 and I started collecting jueteng protection money for President Estrada," Singson narrated.

He also said aside from former San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada, another Estrada son, Jude, also received P500,000 in jueteng collections from him.

Jinggoy allegedly acted as collector of the bribes from jueteng operators in Bulacan who pay P3 million a month.

The witness said Jinggoy turned over to him P2 million a month, keeping the remaining P1 million for himself.