Out with the truth in Valhalla papers - GOTCHA by Jarius Bondoc

Figure this out:

Joseph Estrada keeps claiming he’s not the Jose Valhalla (or Velarde) who signed a P142-million check to "buy" the Boracay Mansion. Only last Saturday he snorted on radio, "I am not Jose Valhalla, I don’t know Jose Valhalla, so bahala na sila."

If so, then why are his lawyers so adamant about suppressing the Valhalla records that Equitable-PCIBank sent to the Senate impeachment court? Why is Erap-loyalist Sen. John Osmeña so bent on overturning Chief Justice Hilario Davide’s decision to open today two sealed envelopes containing the papers?

The answer can only be that, no matter what Erap says, the records could link him to the Boracay Mansion purchase. Given his P600,000-a-year official salary, the next question would be where he got the moolah. It would then prove Chavit Singson’s exposé of a P445-million jueteng payoff and P130-million tobacco-tax theft – two of four charges Erap is facing.

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Rep. Joker Arroyo avers that "Valhalla" is an alias. Comparing the Valhalla signature with that of Estrada on peso notes, even the untrained would notice that the strokes are so similar, especially the "Jos" in Jose and Joseph. All the more so would a handwriting expert conclude that both were signed by a lefty, which Erap is. Merely why Erap would be using an alias already shows criminal intent.

So crucial are the Valhalla records to proving the prosecution’s cases that Arroyo practically begged Davide to order them opened last Friday.

Estrada’s lead counsel Andres Narvasa objected, however, that the records are immaterial to the charges and that the prosecution is only fishing for evidence. But that has yet to be seen, for Narvasa presumably does not have Superman’s x-ray vision to peruse what’s inside the sealed envelopes. Unless, of course, his client confessed to him under a mantle of confidentiality what the contents are and what they mean.

Davide naturally overruled Narvasa, explaining that the materiality issue can be raised after they all see the records – and only if congressmen-prosecutors seek to mark these as evidence. The only material thing they lacked Friday was time, and so Davide scheduled the opening for today.

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The postponement gave Narvasa and Osmeña a chance to plot their next moves.

Co-counsel Estelito Mendoza said they might raise the issue this morning before the Supreme Court. Such a move would not only delay the impeachment trial that Erap professes to want to speed up. Worse, it could trigger a constitutional crisis by pitting the co-equal but separate judiciary and legislature in a fight over jurisdiction and powers.

Is that what Erap wants? Perhaps, if he sees potential conviction.

Osmeña has a different tack. He will ask for a Senate vote to overrule Davide’s ruling. A majority vote of the senators in quorum would then suffice to open the envelopes or keep them sealed.

Osmeña is practically asking this early for a nose-count of senators who are pro- or anti-Erap. The issue is purely technical in nature. Fourteen of the 22 senators are not lawyers and presumably couldn’t care less about legal maneuvers in an honest pursuit of the truth in the Valhalla records. Osmeña in effect wants to gauge this early – by suppressing evidence and with the trial not even halfway – who among them would likely vote for acquittal or conviction.

In which case, Osmeña might as well call for an open voting, with two minutes for each senator to explain the reason for his vote. Doing it behind closed doors would deprive the public of their right to know if the case is being cooked.

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Subpoenas that prosecutors are seeking for 30 other bank records hang on the Valhalla issue. One such record is the nature of Erap’s son Mayor Jinggoy Estrada’s account with the United Overseas Bank-Philippines, San Juan branch.

Singson’s aide Emma Lim had testified that Jinggoy once issued a UOB check for P1 million – a month’s collection of jueteng protection money. She swore remembering that the check was personalized and bore Jinggoy’s picture. Hours later, a UOB officer signed an affidavit stating that Jinggoy has no personal checking account with the bank.

Prosecutors have been told otherwise. They want UOB to submit records of a personal savings account and a checking account in the name of Jinggoy’s Millennium Films.

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INTERACTION. Rodney Rafols, info.com: I’m sorry to hear that DZXL cut your show off the air. A few weeks ago, DZRJ was also threatened with closure, but people behind the threats backed off when Ramon Jacinto exposed them. Even so, systematic jamming of its signal continues. Erap is worse than Marcos.

In DZXL’s case, Rodney, Malacañang used money, not muscle.

Wesner Almin, edsamail.com: Juan Ponce Enrile questions Chavit Singson for wrong ledger computations (Gotcha, 16 Dec. 2000). As a businessman, he knows that checking computations is the job of a secretary or accountant, and he merely checks on earnings.

Samuel J. Yap, Pamplona, Las Piñas: Emma Lim admitted collecting illegal jueteng money thus: "Sino naman po ako para . . . kasi alam ko naman na ang jueteng ay kay Presidente." It shows the damage the Erap term has done to the Filipino psyche, to our sense of morals (Gotcha, 13 Dec. 2000).

Joey Legarda, Makati: Never before has it been clearer than under Erap how distorted moral values at the top corrupts the actions of the people.

Corinna Serrano, efasoftware: Now that we know Butz Aquino is running for senator, voters shouldn’t forget his idiotic statement that Erap is a gift from God (Gotcha, 9 Dec. 2000).

Jose Mendoza, Coquitlam, BC, Canada: Sen. John Osmeña said the impeachment charges presented by prosecutors made him sleepy. It’s a revolting line. He’s being paid by taxpayer; it’s his duty to listen to the charges and to the defense. If he can’t, he must resign and just wait for his next P1-million balato.

Benjamin Morales, edsamail: Former Chief Justice Narvasa was a role model, an idol in the Agrava Commission during Marcos’ time. Then he stooped to become mere presidential appointee and now Erap’s employed lawyer. He looks pathetic leading his case from the floor, looking up to the chair where he used to sit, afraid of being overruled and getting a dose of his own medicine.

Willie Vicedo, kmpg.com: In the 12 Dec. issue of Los Angeles Times is a big photo of pro-Bush and pro-Gore demonstrators marching round the Supreme Court building. Unlike Nene Pimentel, Chief Justice Renquist did not tell them to go home or rally elsewhere. To think that RP patterned its democracy after the US.

Alfredo Miranda, digitelone.com: Pampangos are ashamed of Estelito Mendoza, a lawyer of dictators, thieves, tax evaders, plunderers who can’t win an election for governor or congressman.

Nelson Marcelo, saudiarabia.ncr.com: Erap says he’s the first kaliwete (I mean left-handed) to become President, the first bigotilyo President, the first millennium President. how shallow!

Nelson, he even sounds like his impeachment is the best thing that happened to his Presidency.

Thank you, Francisco J. Garcia, Eduardo Olaguer, Danile Manalo, Miko Nepomuceno, Renato Gonzales, Jose Labrador, M.T. Lacsao, Victor Sumagaysay, Sheldon Tate, Isy Ramirez, A. Cordero, Ross Gabino, Atty. Eliseo Ocampo, Miguel Nacianceno, Ernie Chaves, Jose Octaviano, Carol Kondro, Michael Rayel.

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