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Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Estrada lawyer accuses ex-Palace exec of 'instigating' money laundering raps (10:26 a.m.)
MANILA -- Attorney Rufus Rodriguez said politicians who allegedly coached former beauty queen Joelle Pelaez into filing anti-money laundering charges against the former President Joseph Estrada may be held criminally liable.
Rodriguez, counsel of Estrada, said former Presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor and Ilocos Sur Luis "Chavit" Singson, who are both running for senator under the administration ticket, were behind the decision of Pelaez to file a complaint against Estrada.
This came after the mother of Pelaez, Blanquita, made a turnaround and disclosed to the media that it was Defensor who paid for their round-trip plane tickets to the Philippines as well as provided her daughter's shopping money in exchange to their agreement to file charges of money laundering against Estrada.
On the other hand, Rodriguez said Singson paid for the press conferences called for by Pelaez. Singson was seated beside her during the press conference held at the posh Discovery Suites Hotel in Ortigas as well as provided security for her and her mother during their entire stay here.
"We are still awaiting for the affidavit (of Blanquita). If it's true that they paid for the expenses incurred by Pelaez, then they will be liable," he said.
Rodriguez said the camp of the former Chief Executive has known about the successive meetings between Defensor and Blanquita in Malacaņang last year and had correctly assumed the reason behind this when Joelle suddenly
surfaced in May 2006 to accuse Estrada of using her bank account to launder massive amounts of money.
This was supposedly in complicity with senior officials of the San Miguel Corporation and the United Coconut Planters Bank. (ECV)
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