RP prosecutor issue writs for more Estrada accounts

RP prosecutor issue writs for more Estrada accounts

MANILA (Agencies): Corruption investigators ordered on Friday
the local unit of U.S. lender Citibank NA to surrender records of
deposits of ousted Philippines leader Joseph Estrada, who faces a
barrage of lawsuits.

Ombudsman Aniano Desierto said these "would be used in
connection with the investigation relating to the statement of
assets and liabilities" of the former president, who has been
accused of having US$400 million in ill-gotten wealth.

Citibank must produce records on a three-million-dollar
foreign currency deposit "already admitted by the former
president," and which was frozen by the internal revenue bureau
last month, he added.

A day earlier, the ombudsman had ordered nine local banks to
open up for scrutiny accounts allegedly held by the fallen
leader. The banks have until Thursday to comply.

Desierto vowed to carry out swift justice on Estrada, who
could face the death penalty if found guilty of plunder. Desierto
said the graft probe of Estrada would wind up "in 30 days or even
less."

Estrada had until Monday to answer criminal complaints of
amassing illegal wealth, but he has challenged the legality of
the inquiry and the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the
case next Thursday.

"We are all doing overtime. We need more people, but some of
these cases have been moving fast. They are even complaining that
we are railroading the cases," Desierto said.

He vowed that the criminal cases would not end up like those
against former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, which are languishing
in courts nearly 15 years after his ouster under a similar
military-backed popular revolt in 1986.

Desierto stressed that the 63-year-old former movie star
Estrada and his family are barred from leaving the country.
Marcos died in exile in Hawaii in 1989 and was never prosecuted.

None of the Marcos relatives or allies has been jailed for
allegedly stealing billions of dollars from state coffers during
his 20-year rule.

Rumors swirled in the capital on Friday that Estrada planned
to flee the Philippines.

Estrada told the Malaya newspaper in an exclusive interview
that he would likely seek permission to fly to the United States
next month for eye treatment, but that he would not agree to
banishment.

The private complainants in the cases alleged he amassed 200
million dollars in secret bank accounts and acquired another 200
million dollars' worth of properties held by mistresses, dummy
corporations or cronies.

Estrada has not claimed these accounts but Desierto said that
if the bank accounts were truly in his name, that would be enough
evidence of guilt.

"It is impossible. In this country, you cannot earn that much
legally," Desierto said.

Estrada declared a net worth of 35.9 million pesos
(US$737,000) last year and he could be charged if he did not
include the accounts in the statement, the ombudsman added.

Estrada went on trial in the Senate after Congress impeached
him for graft, bribery, betrayal of public trust and culpable
violation of the constitution.

But the Senate failed to hand down a verdict last month,
sparking a military-backed popular revolt that toppled him.

Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said the evidence from the
banks would bolster the earlier charges from the Senate trial
that Estrada received bribes from illegal gambling rackets,
embezzled government funds and was linked to a firm involved in
an insider-trading scandal.

Meanwhile, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo swore in 11
secretaries and her vice president in a brief ceremony on Friday,
filling out her Cabinet after three weeks in office.

Vice President Teofisto Guingona, nominated on Tuesday and
confirmed by Congress a day later, called his swearing in "a
great honor. I hope I can live up to the trust the people have
given me."

Guingona, 72, will likely also serve as the secretary of
foreign affairs.

Arroyo swore in two secretaries who served under her
predecessor, Joseph Estrada, but resigned late last year after
corruption allegations surfaced against him.

After his swearing in on Friday, Trade and Industry Secretary
Manuel Roxas occupies the position he held before resigning last
year from Estrada's Cabinet. Filemon Uriarte was also reappointed
to the Department of Science and Technology.

The Cabinet members are also expected to sign in coming days
an oath, drafted by the president, pledging "respect for others,"
a simple lifestyle and focusing on the poor, among other things.