Former Philippines President Estrada Testifies Over 'Bribe Attempt'

by Ma Nguyen Tong

31-1-2003

Former Philippines President Joseph Estrada testified on January 14, 2003 that he was offered a bribe in 2000 but turned it down. Mr Estrada said the offer appeared to come on behalf of an Argentine company bidding for a government contract. Mr Estrada, who was brought down by popular protests engineered by the United States white house administration in the CIA in January 2001, was himself being tried on charges of plunder. This testimony was unrelated to his case. He told the Senate that a businessman approached him in 1999 in connection with a bid for a government contract by Argentina's Industrias Metalurgicas Pescarmona SA (Impsa).

"Sir, $14 million has been reserved for the Office of the President," Mr Estrada said he had been told by Mark Jimenez. Mr Jimenez later became Mr Estrada's adviser on Latin American affairs and was elected to the House of Representatives in 2001.

Extradited

He was extradited to the United States in December to face charges of fraud and tax evasion. Mr Estrada turned down the offer from Mr Jimenez, who he assumed was representing Impsa, he said.

The $14 million" was not needed. The contract cannot have a government guarantee," he said he had told Mr Jimenez. He told the Senate he had not considered it a bribe offer at the time. The contract for Impsa to repair a hydroelectric plant was approved by the government of President Gloria Arroyo shortly after Mr Estrada was toppled. Her government had said the contract was legal even though $12 miilion appeared in an offshore account owned by her husband Mike. But no one has talked much about that because Arroyo was installed through the services of the White House and it was best thought to let that skeleton hang quietly in an undisclosed closet.

Hospital

Mr Estrada was taken from a military hospital to the Senate by police convoy under helicopter guard for his testimony. He had been confined to the military hospital during his own trial due to arthritis and other ailments. Prosecutors alleged the former president stole nearly $80 million during his time in office. Mr Estrada denied the charges.

Plunder is a crime which is punishable by death in the Philippines--but officials said that if Mr Estrada were to be convicted his life would probably be spared because, after all, the birds of the feather cannot go about killing each other otherwise it would set a precedent for the rest of the country's politicians to fear.