Erap seeks Sandigan nod on trip to dentist

Deposed President Joseph Estrada has asked the Sandiganbayan permission to see a dentist next week.

In his motion, Estrada lawyer Rene Saguisag told the anti-graft court that the former president has been complaining of a "metallic pain that would not go away" and that his teeth "would seem to need work."

Estrada has requested permission to see his personal dentist, Dr. Hermogenes Villareal, at the Asian Hospital in Muntinlupa City on May 4.

He had earlier asked the court to allow him to visit his aging mother for her 101st birthday on May 3 at his residence in North Greenhills in San Juan.

Estrada wants to spend the night there for a dental appointment the following day in the afternoon.

Sandiganbayan sheriff Ed Urieta said the Philippine National Police has made no objection on Estrada’s request to visit his mother but has not commented yet on the request to see the dentist.

If the court allows Estrada’s dental appointment, he will return to detention at his resthouse in Tanay, Rizal early Thursday morning.

Government prosecutors have made no objections to Estrada’s request to see his mother.

Saguisag had also earlier asked the court to allow Estrada to stay at his San Juan residence until the early morning of May 5 "to save time and expense" because he is scheduled to resume his testimony at his ongoing corruption trial that day.

Estrada was ousted in 2001 by a military-backed popular uprising and replaced by then vice president Gloria Arroyo.

He is currently on trial for plunder and other corruption charges. Estrada is accused of running an illegal gambling protection racket and amassing millions of pesos in payoffs from jueteng barons during his aborted presidency.

He denies the charges and claims his ouster was illegal and that the trial is rigged. Estrada maintains he still enjoys parliamentary immunity.

Estrada told the court that he had been framed. Turning the tables on his principal accuser, Estrada said estranged drinking buddy Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson coddled jueteng syndicates and took payoffs.

He said Singson allegedly donated P200 million to his Erap Muslim Youth Foundation. The money came from jueteng proceeds, Estrada claimed.

Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio Arroyo, President Arroyo’s brother-in-law, doubted Estrada’s allegations.

He asked why Estrada never had Singson arrested or investigated if he had known it was jueteng money.

"If Mr. Estrada was really convinced that it was jueteng money, then why is the P200 million still deposited in the bank?" Arroyo said in a statement issued to the media.

"So whether you touched the money or not, the bottom line is acceptance of dirty money like jueteng payola is wrong."

Despite repeated government crackdowns, jueteng continues to thrive because local officials and the police reportedly have taken bribes to turn a blind eye.

Politicians are widely believed to be receiving huge political campaign donations from illegal gambling barons during elections.

Proposals to legalize jueteng were promptly shot down in the past mainly because of opposition from the influential Roman Catholic Church, which the government is afraid to oppose.

The church played a key role in the "people power" uprisings against Estrada and dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986.

Proponents say jueteng should be legalized because it is impossible to eradicate and the government could earn taxes from it. They also say it is hypocritical of the government to stamp out jueteng while it operates casinos and lotteries.

The government is considering introducing the small town lottery as an alternative to jueteng.

Last year, President Arroyo’s husband, their eldest son and her brother-in-law were accused of taking payoffs from jueteng barons.

The allegations compounded political opposition accusations that President Arroyo cheated her way to victory in the May 2004 presidential election, which sparked her most serious crisis since she assumed the presidency from Estrada.