Government lawyers urge seizure of ‘Boracay’

The Sandiganbayan should confiscate the sprawling 7,400-square-meter "Boracay" mansion in New Manila, Quezon City allegedly owned by deposed President Joseph Estrada.

This was the recommendation of government prosecutors after the three-hour ocular inspection of the place last March 19 which yielded three pieces of evidence allegedly pointing to the deposed leader as the owner of the P142-million abandoned mansion.

The alleged pieces of evidence include a 15 x 14 foot cream carpet rug that bore Estrada’s name as recipient of the delivery, the locator slip which had the name of his alleged mistress Laarni Enriquez, and a class schedule of their daughter Ma. Jerika Larize dated Oct. 26, 1999.

Chief special prosecutor Dennis Villa Ignacio said that these were "enough" to prove that the property indeed belongs to Estrada.

"This is the end of the line for Erap. This is the house of Laarni. This is real evidence. This is proof that Estrada owns this," said Villa Ignacio.

Defense lawyers, however, downplayed the discovery, claiming the alleged pieces of evidence could have been "planted."

"How did they (prosecutors) know that it was Erap’s? Maybe it was given to him. Was there any (title) showing that he owns it? The main question here is still the real ownership," lawyer Manuel Pamaran, who represents Estrada, argued.

Meanwhile, Estrada’s friend Prospero Crescini said that the "piece of paper" didn’t even have "stains" as proof that it had been there a long time.

The Boracay house was one of five mansions in Metro Manila which was allegedly acquired by Estrada through his businessmen friends during his presidency.