Danding jet eyed in Estrada escape

The jet that was supposed to take former President Joseph Estrada out of the country last Saturday to escape prosecution on plunder charges is reportedly owned by his long-time friend, businessman Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr.

This developed as commercial airlines and private aircraft owners were warned that they would be prosecuted and fined heavily if they help Estrada leave the country.

A ranking military official disclosed that Estrada still plans to flee the country and that the ousted leader’s men are just waiting for an opportunity to facilitate his escape.

"The jet belongs to a former presidential friend and there are strong indications that they’re up to something," said the official who asked not to be named. When asked to identify who the "presidential friend" is, the official said, "It’s Co- juangco."

The official said at least two planes — a Citation and a Lear jet — owned by Cojuangco have been readied for Estrada’s escape. Co- juangco reportedly owns a fleet of aircraft which he has offered for his friend’s use.

Cojuangco chairs food and beverage giant San Miguel Corp. and also heads the Nationalist People’s Coalition, a political party closely identified with Estrada.

Military sources said Sunday that a private jet was supposed to take Estrada and members of his family to Hong Kong, Indonesia or Palau to escape.

They revealed that on Friday night, Estrada attempted to board a plane to Indonesia from Davao City but was prevented by the presence of military agents in the airport. That same day, the Supreme Court ruled that Estrada was no longer president, thereby stripping him of his immunity from suit. Estrada, who is facing several plunder charges, was in Mindanao that day campaigning for his wife, senatorial candidate Luisa Ejercito.

The same sources added that Estrada and his family were prepared to fly to Hong Kong either from Puerto Princesa City in Palawan or Cagayan de Oro City in Mindanao.

A military official pointed out that there had been indications that Cojuangco’s jets were preparing to spirit Estrada away.

"The movement of the jets, they’re on touch-and-go. They land and stay for a while but they leave immediately," said one military official.

Another sign, he said, was the constant changing of the planes’ flight schedules. "Sometimes the jets were scheduled to be here (Manila) but they were found to be in Palawan," he explained.

Estrada, however, has denied that he was planning to escape. His wife said in a statement that the claims of military officials on their supposed escape plan "is as credible as the claim that the Philippines will have its first submarine soon."

"The charge is ridiculous. You have to doubt the credibility since the story traces its information to an unidentified officer. A source that refuses to identify itself is suspect," she said.

"President Estrada is staying. He has said that since he was born here, he will stay here and die here. The same thing goes for me," she added.

Estrada has 15 days to appeal the Supreme Court ruling.

Airlines warned

As this developed, Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said it would be difficult for Estrada to flee because immigration posts are on alert.

And he said operators of private charter aircraft as well as commercial carriers have been warned that if Estrada fled the country with their help, "we would impound their aircraft and we will cancel their franchise."

According to Perez, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and aviation authorities are monitoring private aircraft.

"We are monitoring his activities and I will not allow him to fly to another country," he said.

Perez stressed that those who would help Estrada leave would be charged with "abetting the escape" of a person under investigation, a criminal offense.

Airline operators have already assured Perez that they would not help Estrada slip out of the country. Perez said the Air Transportation Office is now very strict in approving alterations of flight plans, thus aircraft owners cannot just change the course of their planes to accommodate Estrada.

"We told them to follow the flight plan they filed with the ATO and that they should not make any attempt to leave the border of the Philippines. If they do so, we shall run after the owner of the airplane," he said.

Helicopters and small planes, on other hand, are far from Perez’s mind. He said these aircraft do not have the capability to leave the country.

"What we are guarding against is the possibility of escaping through the backdoor," Perez said, referring to Mindanao. "That’s why the NBI is on the lookout 24 hours. They make sure they know where Estrada is headed and who are with him."

Aside from the NBI, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is also monitoring Estrada’s movements.

PNP chief Leandro Mendoza said he has men who are watching Estrada wherever he goes. He, however, admitted that once the ousted leader leaves the country’s borders, the PNP no longer has the power to run after him.

"Locally we can restrain him but once he’s out of the country, it’s already the Armed Forces which should pursue him," he said.

Private escape doors revealed

Meanwhile, a source at the ATO in Mindanao said Estrada could easily sneak out of the country through the private airstrips in several banana plantations, particularly in Davao City.

"Of course he cannot pass through the Davao International Airport but he could easily escape using any of the numerous private airstrips here," he said.

The source revealed that there are at least six airstrips in Davao City and close to 40 in the nearby provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley where sprawling banana plantations can be found.

He explained that such airstrips, which are used mostly for aircraft for aerial spray of pesticides, are big enough for King Air propeller planes that are good for short-distance international travel.

"He can take a light plane to Manado in East Indonesia or in Sandakan in Sabah, East Malaysia or in other parts of Borneo. He can even go to Brunei," the source said. "The flights to these places only take from one hour to three hours at the most."

According to the source, the ATO is not capable of controlling the planes that land on small airstrips. "So it’s easy for Estrada to be brought to these airstrips by land and then fly from there," he said.

Authorities doubt, though, that Estrada would attempt to escape.

Education Secretary Raul Roco said it would be "embarrassing" for Estrada to leave.

"He has no choice but to face the music. I suspect he will not escape. In any event, he’s being watched. Where will he go?" he asked.

Former President Fidel Ramos, for his part, said he believes the Filipino people will finally be seeing the first case of a former chief executive being sent to jail for stealing from the country’s coffers.

He urged those guarding Estrada to watch him closely to ensure his safety. "I would just advise his security people to make sure he does not fall down the stairs," he said joking. "That is also a form of escape, you know." – With Delon Porcalla, Edith Regalado, Jaime Laude, Sheila Crisostomo, Marichu Villanueva, Rey Arquiza