Erap seeks hold-departure order on Joelle’s mom

A lawyer for ousted President Joseph Estrada called yesterday on Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez to issue a hold-departure order against the mother of a former beauty queen who had accused Estrada of involvement in money-laundering.

Former immigration commissioner Rufus Rodriguez, one of Estrada’s lawyers, said a Makati court had convicted Blanquita Pelaez of frustrated estafa and had ordered her arrest.

"We reiterate our call for Miss Blanquita Pelaez to be officially barred from leaving the country until she has rightfully served the sentence handed down by the court," he said.

"Blanquita Pelaez is considered a fugitive from the law and is the object of a manhunt by the Makati police and other law enforcement agencies, yet we find it quite surprising that Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez has not issued a hold departure order against this individual when this should already be an SOP (standard operating procedure) for all convicted criminals," Rodriguez said.

He said Pelaez was convicted of frustrated estafa on May 14, 2004 by Judge Winlove Dumayas of Branch 58 of the Makati City Regional Trial Court.

"We question the manner in which this person is allowed to roam freely almost as if she were not convicted by a Makati court, while legitimate members of the opposition are considered enemies of the state simply because they use their democratic right to openly denounce injustice and corruption," he said.

Frustrated estafa is punishable by a maximum prison term of four years and four months, he added.

Earlier, Rodriguez said Estrada will be filing a P30-million libel suit against Blanquita Pelaez, her daughter Joelle, the editor-in-chief and publisher of the newspaper Manila Standard-Today and one of its reporters, Christine Herrera over the series of articles, where Joelle had accused Estrada of involvement in money laundering.

In an interview, Pelaez lashed out at Estrada for "attacking and harassing," and that she had nothing to do with the estafa case her daughter had filed against him.

The case of frustrated estafa of which she is the subject of an arrest warrant has been elevated to the Court of Appeals, she added.

Former senator Rene Saguisag, another Estrada lawyer, had already asked the Sandiganbayan special division to allow Estrada to leave his Tanay detention place on Friday to personally file the libel suit against Joelle Pelaez and the others before the Manila Prosecutor’s Office.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez reiterated yesterday that Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson "had a hand" in the surfacing of Joelle Pelaez.

"Governor Singson appears determined to destroy the credibility of President Estrada, especially since he appears headed for an acquittal on plunder charges," he said. — Mike Frialde