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.