Estrada denies all allegations against him<\/p>\n
MANILA (AP): President Joseph Estrada denied all accusations
\nagainst him in a brief response Friday to the impeachment
\ncomplaint under which he will be tried by the Senate starting
\nnext week on corruption and other charges.<\/p>\n
Estrada is accused in the 270-page articles of impeachment of
\nbribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of the public trust and
\nviolation of the constitution. Most of the charges are based on
\naccusations by a provincial governor that he received millions of
\ndollars from operators of an illegal numbers game and from excise
\ntaxes intended for tobacco farmers.<\/p>\n
In his 16-page response, Estrada's lawyers argued that the
\ncharges do not constitute impeachable offenses and insisted he
\nhad been "faithful to his oath of office."<\/p>\n
"They are denying everything," said Senate legal counsel David
\nYap. "They are denying the fact that this complaint meets the
\nrequirements of a complaint."<\/p>\n
Eleven members of the House of Representatives who will act as
\nprosecutors in the Senate trial, which begins next Thursday, now
\nhave five days to reply to Estrada's response.<\/p>\n
Estrada will be removed only if at least two-thirds of the 22
\nsenators vote to convict him. Currently he is believed to have a
\nnarrow margin of support for remaining in office.<\/p>\n
Rep. Roan Libarios, one of the 11 prosecutors, said Estrada's
\nbrief and general response to the charges was expected.<\/p>\n
"We even thought they will not file an answer so that they
\nwill not be pinned down on their specific line of defense," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The prosecutors asked the Senate on Friday to allow an
\ninspection of several expensive mansions which Estrada is accused
\nof having acquired while in office for the use of his mistresses.<\/p>\n
They also requested subpoenas for several witnesses, including
\nEstrada's son, bank officials, and a woman who allegedly kept
\nrecords of the gambling payoffs.<\/p>\n
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel has said he believes the
\ntrial can be finished by the end of December, but other senators
\nthink it may take until at least January.<\/p>\n
Many business and labor groups are demanding that Estrada step
\ndown to avoid a lengthy legal process that could further damage
\nthe country's economy by hurting business confidence.<\/p>\n
Tens of thousands of people protested Thursday in cities
\nthroughout the Philippines urging Estrada to resign, and
\nthreatened civil disobedience if he refuses.<\/p>\n
Estrada replied that he would await the outcome of the
\nimpeachment trial.<\/p>\n
But in his response on Friday, he argued that the impeachment
\ncomplaint should be thrown out because much of the evidence
\nconsisted of newspaper clippings.<\/p>\n
"Many of the specifications are in newspaper articles which
\ncannot take the place of allegations of ultimate facts," the
\nresponse said.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the Senate rejected a motion from Estrada's
\nlawyers that the case be rejected on technical grounds because
\nthe House of Representatives never voted before forwarding the
\nimpeachment complaint to the Senate for a trial.<\/p>\n
Estrada has acknowledged that he was offered a bribe by the
\ngovernor, Luis Singson, but said he refused it. The money,
\nhowever, was later given to an Estrada aide and deposited in the
\nbank account of a foundation for scholarships for Muslim youth.<\/p>\n
Estrada's brother-in-law heads the foundation, which has never
\nawarded any scholarships.<\/p>",
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