* Sandiganbayan finds basis in two out of four general allegations against former president Joseph Estrada, resulting in the conviction.
* Estrada sentenced to reclusion perpetua, which can range from 20 to 40 years, but can seek parole after serving a few years plus the number of years he has already spent under detention. He can also secure a presidential pardon.
* The anti-graft court also ordered the forfeiture of the P545,291,000 Estrada allegedly earned from jueteng, the P189.7 million from Belle Corp. and Estrada’s “Boracay mansion” in Quezon City.
* The ruling is not yet final and executory and his lawyers can submit either a motion for reconsideration before the Sandiganbayan or appeal the ruling before the Supreme Court.
* He could have been committed to the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa but Sandiganbayan Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo-de Leon, Francisco Villaruz Jr., and Diosdado Peralta had him sent back to the rest house in Tanay, Rizal, “until further notice from the court.”
* The anti-graft court is convinced that Estrada received money that served as his cut from jueteng operations from November 1998 to August 2000. The amount, which came twice a month, reached P545.29 million, and P200 million was deposited in the Erap Muslim Youth Foundation.
* Estrada also allegedly ordered the GSIS and the SSS to purchase shares of stock in the Belle Corp. and collected P189.7 million as commission. The money was later deposited at the Equitable PCI Bank under the name “Jose Velarde.”
* But the prosecution failed to convince the anti-graft court of Estrada’s guilt in the two other allegations dubbed as predicates of the charges that he pocketed P130 million of the P170-million tobacco excise tax.
* The former president further enriched himself from commissions, gifts, shares, percentages and kickbacks from other sources, resulting in the rest of the P3,233,104, 173.17 stashed in the same Jose Velarde account.
* Erap was found to have acted in connivance with then Ilocos governor Luis “Chavit” Singson and some others but the latter cannot be included in the charge after being granted immunity from suit by the Office of the Ombudsman in exchange for testimony.
* The anti-graft court, however, intends to pursue those not covered by immunity and has issued an alias warrant against Yolanda Ricaforte, Alma Alfaro, Eleuterio Ramos Tan and Delia Rajas.
* Estrada was charged with son, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, and lawyer and former Ateneo law professor Edward Serapio, but all charges against them were dropped after the prosecution failed to adduce sufficient evidence to show that they were guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
* Estrada also charged with perjury for failing to declare his real assets in his Statement of Assets and Liabilities but the Sandiganbayan dismissed it by saying “the prosecution failed to establish the guilt of the accused with moral certainty.” (KNR)
