MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Senators on Wednesday opened a sealed envelope at the center of Joseph Estrada's impeachment trial, revealing huge bank transactions the former president allegedly made under an alias.
Live on television, two senators read pages of bank records citing multimillion-dollar transactions in an account under the name Jose Velarde, Estrada's alleged alias.
The account, already virtually empty, was closed Nov. 13, the day the lower house of Congress filed its impeachment case against Estrada to the Senate. Estrada denies any wrongdoing.
Ombudsman Aniano Desierto, the country's chief corruption investigator, who is pursuing allegations that Estrada amassed as much as $300 million in bribes and kickbacks in 31 months in office, said he will probe the source of the money.
The Velarde account documents show credits of up to $66 million with four withdrawals of $9.6 million each between October 1999 and February 2000. More than $19.4 million were also deposited in October 1999. Estrada reported $700,000 in net worth two years ago.
The envelope, even sealed, was key in forcing Estrada out last month. On Jan. 16, the Senate tribunal trying him on corruption charges barred prosecutors from opening it. The prosecutors then walked out, saying the ruling showed they could not get a fair verdict.
Protests began within an hour of the decision and swelled daily, with top military officials and most of the Cabinet withdrawing support from Estrada on Jan. 19.
Estrada tried to quell the resignation demands by agreeing to open the envelope, but left the presidential palace the next day when the demonstrations continued.
The last big withdrawal from the account, was made Aug. 2, five weeks before Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson, a former Estrada drinking buddy, first accused Estrada of taking millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.
But Estrada's allies said the envelope's contents supported the ousted president.
One of Estrada's sons, Joseph Victor Ejercito, pointed out that the documents did not name Estrada. The envelope contained a letter by businessman Jaime Dichaves asking an Equitable Bank branch to open an account in the name "Jose Velarde" that Dichaves would control.
Ejercito said this proves that Dichaves, and not Estrada, owned the account.
But Romeo Capulong, a prosecutor, alleged the letter by Dichaves was doctored to hide Estrada's ownership of the account.
"This letter is very, very suspicious and there are indications it has been inserted surreptitiously for the purpose of saving the neck of Mr. Estrada," he said, adding that investigators will try to determine if it was written before the account was opened.
More than 200 Estrada supporters gathered at the Supreme Court hours after the envelope was opened Wednesday, putting down rice sacks as blankets and vowing to stay through the night.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments Thursday on a petition by Estrada lawyers to declare his predecessor, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, as the acting president and not the real leader. No time for a decision has been set.
Estrada never signed a resignation letter and claims he is only on leave, although the Supreme Court swore in Macapagal-Arroyo the day he left the palace.
His supporters seized an anti-Estrada banner flying near the court Wednesday and jumped around it as they burned it on the road.
"We want Erap back," said Ethel Jalamboni, a 50-year-old housewife, referring to Estrada by his popular nickname. "The president was removed because of that envelope and now it's been opened and there was nothing inside."
But Justice Secretary Hernando Perez on Wednesday defended the legitimacy of Macapagal-Arroyo's presidency by arguing that Estrada "is history" and that he effectively resigned when he left the palace.