Follow the money trail of Erap aka Asiong Salonga

MADAM Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, are you aware of these money trail of ex-convict plunderer ousted ex-Oh President “Erap-Pare” Ejercito Estrada?

Sinipi po ito ng KONTRA  SALOT sa librong may pamagat na  “The Erap Tragedy”  (tales from the snakefit)  by Aprodocio A. Laquian and Eleanor R. Laquian ex-chief of staff of ex-convict ex-President Joseph Ejercito Estrada.

For us who had known Erap Estrada for decades, it was extremely difficult to react to the accusations that he had, within the two and a half years of his administration.  Amassed  billions of pesos which he had keep in secret bank accounts.  The billions quoted by the media were simply beyond our comprehension.

According to the house prosecutors, the president had amassed these fantastic amounts through extortion, pay-offs from illegal gambling and embezzelement of government funds.  The whole Erap aAdministration was supposed to have been bedeviled by large amounts of money from the very beginning.

If true, the ex-president absolutely had no need to join the TV show”Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” It was staggering just to follow the money trail some notable items of which are enumerated below:

*P3 million delivered to the Department of Budget allegedly as part of a bribe for a P200 million textbook scam involving a cousin of thePresident, Celia Ejercito and His Mistress, Laarni Enriquez

*P16 million worth of handcuffs for the Philippine National Police in an anomalous deals supposedly made by the President’s nominee for Secretary for Local Government,  Ronaldo Puno.

*P430 million in charity funds allegedly diverted for the use of the President, First Lady and their son, the Mayor of San Juan, as alleged by Sister Christine Tan.

*P893.4 million in authorized capital in 66 corporation allegedly set up by the President and His immediate family.  Many of these firms were established after he had become President.

*P25 billion in tax payment by Lucio Tan, a President crony, lost to the government supposedly the case was filed late upon from President.

*P500 million trust investment allegedly signed by the President using the name of “Jose Velarde” for the Wellex Group, a company owned by Erap Crony William Gatchalian, as revealed by Clarissa Ocampoat the impeachment trial.

*P1.2 billion in a savings account in Equitable Bank allegedly belonging to Estrada ) mentioned in Malaya,January 12,2001).

*P142 million  check for the purchase of the “Boracay” mansion.  Allegedly signed in favor of Jose Luis “Sel” Yulo a close friend of the President.

*P25 million for a house supposedly in exchange for the support of a Senator Judge in the Impeachment trial.

*P200 million in jueteng protection money kickbacks laundered supposedly through the President’s Muslim Youth Foundation, (mentioned in Philippine Daily Inquirer, January 12, 2001).

*P600 million in cash in a suitcase, being secretly taken out of the country by Juancho Mendiola of San Juan, on board the same flight taken by Estrada’s mistress, Laarni Enriquez.

*Deposits to Jose Velarde accounts of P300 million from Dante Tan,P180 million from Mark Jimenez, P210 million from Jaime Dichaves (Malaya, January 17,2001)

*P3.3 billion in accounts detailed in the controversial second envelope. The eleven senators voted not to open (Malaya,January 17,2001).

*Millions in so called Boeing and Airbus Accounts supposedly detailed also in the “second envelope” according to Representative Joker Arroyo, Malaya, January 28,2001).

*US $10 million in alleged kickbacks to President Estrada and his hostage negotiator Robert Aventajado, from hostage ransom money. According to the German newspaper – Der Spiegel.

*P400 million in alleged tobacco excise tax kickbacks to the President, mentioned by Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson in the Senate impeachement trial.

*P2.2 billion in a mother account in Equitable Bank allegedly belonging to Estrada.

*P100,000 each balato (shared winnings from jueteng, acknowledged as having been  received by Senator Tessie Oreta and Senator Sonny  Osmena; lesser amount to less-favored officials such as Lenny de Jesus and Jerry Barican, who also acknowledged receipt of balato.

*P572,232,137.90 in alledged unpaid gains tax of Dante Tan, accused manipulator of insider trading of BMW Resources and Chinese Crony of Estrada

*More than P100 million in unpaid taxes by BW Resources, according to a Bureau of Internal Revenue report; BW Resources also had a capital tax deficiency of P973,921,684 and documentary stamp tax deficiency of P10,871,487 on over-the-counter sales alone in 1999. Taxes rumored not collected by BIR because of BW Resources special Links to Palace (Malaya,January 17,2001)

*Joseph Estrada’s personal account of US$3 million and P100 million in a Citibank Greenhillls branch (Philippine Daily Inquirer, January 23,2001.

*$11.6 million being shipped to Hongkong under suspicious circumtances noticed by alert airport officials  (January 27,2001).

*P8.4 million in taxes for four luxury cars imported by Ernie Maceda, supposedly waived in return for Maceda’s support of Estrada during Impeachment Trial.

*P10 to P15 billion of unexplained wealth in 15 accounts in 15 banks allegedly in Estrada’s name or aliases according to the Office of the Ombudsman (Manila Times, January 30, 2001). (To be continued)
KONTRA SALOT – Abner Afuang