Asian Political News: Singson directly links Estrada to illegal gambling

MANILA, Dec. 13 Kyodo

The prosecution's star witness in the impeachment trial of Philippine President Joseph Estrada on Wednesday detailed a trail of illegal gambling money that he says regularly flowed into the embattled leader's pockets.

Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson, the president's former drinking friend, produced before the Senate court cashed checks to bolster his allegations.

Singson showed a 5 million peso ($100,240) Metrobank check dated Feb. 1, 1999 which he said he personally delivered to Estrada. He said the check was later deposited into an unspecified account.

He said the president ''designated'' him and another friend Atong Ang as ''collectors'' of money from an illegal numbers game called ''jueteng.''

Singson said the monthly collection was ''delivered directly'' to the president's private residence in metropolitan Manila's Greenhills district.

Singson, 59, was the eighth witness called by the prosecution as the impeachment trial entered its fifth day, and his testimony drew a large crowd in the tightly-guarded Senate.

The prosecution panel also presented a ledger that lists the names of government officials -- including Estrada, his two sons and his aides -- who benefited from the illegal money.

Singson said Estrada's code name in the ledger is ''A.S.'' or ''Asiong Salonga.'' Asiong Salonga is the name of the 1961 film that made Estrada, a former actor-turned-politician, a household name in the Philippines.

Singson told the court how he assumed overall command of jueteng collection in October 1998 following an argument between Estrada and Ang. He said the two ''quarreled'' when the president rejected Ang's request to be given a monopoly on importing sugar into the country.

He said he also gave money to Estrada's sons -- San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada and his younger brother Jude.

Earlier Wednesday, prosecutors questioned Maria Carmencita Itchon, Singson's accountant, who testified that she personally knows Yolanda Ricaforte, the alleged auditor of the illegal funds employed by Estrada.

Itchon said she and Ricaforte worked together in Fontainbleau Corp, a casino resort in central Luzon region. She said Ricaforte ''reports directly'' to Estrada and ''regularly calls and visits'' the Malacanang presidential palace.

Singson said it was Ricaforte who prepared the ledger listing names of people who received money from illegal gambling.

On Oct. 5, Singson blew the whistle on Estrada by publicly accusing the president of pocketing about $11 million in kickbacks from illegal gambling and tobacco excise duties.

The Senate -- convened as an impeachment court last Thursday -- is trying Estrada on charges of bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.

Estrada, the first Asian leader ever to be impeached, will be thrown out of office if found guilty of any of the four charges.

A two-thirds vote of the Senate is needed to convict Estrada, but there is still debate on whether that means two-thirds of the 22 senators currently sitting or the originally-elected 24.

One of the original 24 senators has died while another -- Gloria Macapagal Arroyo -- gave up her seat when she was elected vice president.