If memory serves me right, the allegation that the then President Joseph Ejercito Estrada signed as Jose Velarde on an Equitable-PCI Bank account was one of the things that were vehemently denied and defended by his phalanx of defense lawyer�s during his impeachment trial in late 2000 and early 2001. Then Rep.Joker Arroyo even used a 500 peso bill to illustrate the similarity between Erap's signature and the one who signed the Jose Velarde account. Today, in his testimony at the Sandigan Bayan, Erap admitted that he signed as Jose Velarde . I will reserve my comments for the future lest I may be cited in contempt for discussing something that is already sub judice. I just want to remind my readers that the Jose Velarde account is one of the things that triggered EDSA DOS.
G.C. UANAN
24 May 2006
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2 comments:
I do not know what is in the mind of Erap's lawyers. His admission is tantamount to allowing himself to be used as a dummy of privatre citizens. It is a violation of the code of ethics of public officials. I am sure he violated the law in doing so because he was the president at that time.
So that i will not be cited for contempt i will just post this news clipping:
This story was taken from www.inq7.net
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http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=1&story_id=76977
Solons pan Estrada admission on �Jose Velarde�
First posted 06:22pm (Mla time) May 25, 2006
By
INQ7.net
DEPOSED president Joseph Estrada's defense that he acted as guarantor when he signed bank documents as "Jose Velarde" was "shallow, unbelievable, and it escapes logic" and complicated his legal woes, lawmakers at the House of Representatives said Thursday.
"His [Estrada] reason for doing so is shallow and unbelievable, and
it escapes human logic. It's the case of his hand being caught inside
the cookie jar," House Majority Floor Leader Prospero Nograles said in a statement.
Davao del Sur Representative Douglas Cagas said Estrada�s admission that he signed as Velarde only as guarantor of businessman William
Gatchalian invited more questions, which could complicate his legal woes.
"As guarantor, why did Erap [Estrada's nickname] need to use a different name? As a close ally of Jaime Dichaves, who claims ownership of the Velarde account, why did Erap have to sign bank documents to guarantee a loan between two of his known cronies?" Cagas said.
Cagas said if the former leader was guaranteeing a loan for Gatchalian, then Estrada should have just directed his two cronies -- Gatchalian and Dichaves -- to reach an understanding and some form of legal arrangement.
"The prosecution has alleged that Dichaves is Erap's fall guy to claim the controversial account or just a dummy used to open an account where large sums of money could be deposited without a hint of Erap's
ownership. The Velarde account contained deposits of huge amounts from God knows where," Cagas said.
Nograles said that against the eyewitness testimony of bank officials,
Estrada had no legal choice but to admit that he signed as Velarde.
Nograles and Cagas agreed that Estrada�s admission was "the
final nail on his legal coffin, which the former leader ironically hammered down himself."
Estrada is on trial for plunder for allegedly amassing ill-gotten wealth and perjury for allegedly misdeclaring his 1998 statement of assets and liabilities when he was president.
He was ousted in 2001 by a military-backed popular revolt and replaced by then vice president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who sought a fresh mandate in 2004.
Maila Ager
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