Estrada offers to go quietly, with conditions

Estrada offers to go quietly, with conditions

MANILA (Agencies): Ousted Philippine leader Joseph Estrada has
offered to go quietly if the Supreme Court rules he is still
president, his lawyer said on Friday.

Lead counsel Rene Saguisag said Estrada had signed a petition
submitted to the court in which he says he would consider giving
up the presidency to his successor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, "so
that the healing can begin".

"Although he (Estrada) believes in his case and cause, he is
prepared, even if he prevails, to consider making the supreme
sacrifice in the national interest, including giving away, if
need be, to his constitutional successor, but only in the manner
provided and authorized by law, so that the healing can begin,"
the petition said.

"Until then, Respondent (Arroyo) remains only as Acting
President and she cannot mislead the people otherwise. Petitioner
(Estrada) remains President to date."

A champion of the poor and former movie idol, Estrada was
dumped out of office last month at the climax of a "people power"
revolt triggered by the collapse of his impeachment trial on
corruption and bribery charges.

Arroyo was sworn in on Jan. 20 after the Supreme Court
declared the presidency vacant.

The Supreme Court hearing is Estrada's last chance to stop
investigations into charges of perjury, corruption, bribery and
economic plunder, the last of which carries the death penalty.
As president, he is immune from prosecution.

Saguisag earlier told radio station dzRH that while Estrada
would be happy with a constitutional victory, he knew that it
would harm the national interest if he tried to return to the
presidential palace.

"I made it a condition before I agreed to be his lawyer that
even if we won, in the light of national interest, he would not
return to Malacanang (presidential palace)," Saguisag said.

"My advice to President Estrada, after being vindicated, is to
resign formally without sacrificing the interests of justice."
The Supreme Court on Thursday heard Estrada's lawyers, including
Saguisag, claim he was still the legitimate leader since he had
never formally resigned.

The lawyers warned that allowing the overthrow of a
democratically elected ruler would set a dangerous precedent.
The Supreme Court gave Estrada and Arroyo a week to present
written arguments, after which it will decide on the legitimacy
of Arroyo and whether Estrada can face prosecution.

"Even if he won, he would not retake the position if it's not
in the national interest and I can see that it would not be in
the national interest because he could not govern effectively
because he has three presidents as enemies," Saguisag told dzMM.

Former presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos, together
with Arroyo, joined the move to dump Estrada after a provincial
governor accused him of receiving illegal gambling kickbacks in
October last year.

Five Philippine banks have turned over details of bank
accounts linked to ousted president Estrada, boosting the
prospect of him facing new corruption charges, ombudsman Aniano
Desierto said on Friday.

Seven other banks would send in their records next week,
Desierto told AFP.

The 12 banks were subpoenaed by Desierto's office to surrender
the accounts following a complaint filed by the Justice
Department for the forfeiture of Estrada's allegedly ill-gotten
wealth.

The statements also involve bank accounts of Estrada's wife,
Luisa Ejercito and two of his mistresses -- Guia Gomez and Laarni
Enriquez.

Desierto said that about 1.2 million pesos ($25,000) was left
in the accounts submitted by the five banks even though records
show far larger amounts were deposited and withdrawn in the past.

The bank records will be used in a petition charging Estrada
with holding wealth far beyond what he could have earned legally,
said Desierto, who acts as prosecutor in cases against government
officials.

Under the law, "if you have (large bank) accounts and it
cannot be explained from your legitimate source of income, the
presumption is it was illegally acquired," said Desierto.

"That is already enough: the burden of proof is on the
respondent." The bank records can also be used as evidence in six
other corruption cases the government is ready to pursue against
Estrada, Desierto added.