Pelaez complaint black propaganda – Erap

Former President Joseph Estrada said yesterday the Arroyo administration was behind the money laundering charges filed against him by ex-beauty queen Joelle Pelaez.

"That was really a black propaganda by this administration," Estrada told The STAR in an exclusive phone interview.

In a statement, Estrada said he feels vindicated "in the court of public opinion" after Joelle’s mother, Blanquita Pelaez, revealed that it was then Presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor who was behind Joelle’s move to file charges against him last year.

Through his spokesman Rufus Rodriguez, Estrada said while he was taken aback by Blanquita’s declaration, he nevertheless welcomed it.

"The truth will set me free," he said.

Asked to comment on Defensor’s denial of Blanquita’s claim, Estrada said, "Of course he would not admit it."

Estrada also accused Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson of also being behind Joelle’s bogus complaint. He said Singson was even seen at the venue where Joelle and her mother were interviewed about the criminal complaint they filed against him.

Blanquita said the other day Defensor had paid for their round-trip plane tickets to the Philippines and provided her daughter with shopping money. In return, Joelle was to charge Estrada with money laundering.

Rodriguez said Estrada’s camp had known of the successive meetings between Defensor and Blanquita in Malacañang last year. Joelle suddenly surfaced in May 2006 to accuse Estrada of using her bank account to launder massive amounts of money, with the complicity of senior officials of the San Miguel Corp. and the United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB).

Rodriguez said the timing of Joelle’s allegations was almost immediately suspect, coming as it did in the days leading to Estrada’s appearance before the Sandiganbayan special division to testify in his five-year-old plunder case.

Joelle was unable to file money laundering charges against Estrada but merely filed a case of simple deceit before the Makati Prosecutor’s Office, a charge which was immediately dismissed by the prosecutor, Rodriguez said.

Blanquita and Joelle are now facing libel charges before the Rizal Prosecutor’s Office for accusing Estrada of laundering money. – Sandy Araneta