‘Estrada received millions in jueteng payoffs with Chavit as bagman’

A prosecution witness testified yesterday in former President Joseph Estrada’s corruption trial at the Sandiganbayan that Estrada received millions in payoffs from jueteng operators as early as 1999 with a former drinking buddy acting as his bagman.

Defense lawyers tried to prove that Estrada’s estranged drinking buddy, former Ilocos Sur governor Luis Singson, was the one who received bribes from illegal gambling lords.

However, witness Carmencita "Menchu" Itchon, under cross examination by defense lawyer Prospero Crescini, maintained that Singson merely collected the bribes.

"Governor Singson is not a jueteng lord. But he collected jueteng money for former President Estrada. He (Estrada) was the chief operator of jueteng in the country, while his son Jinggoy was the one who managed jueteng in the province of Bulacan," Itchon said.

Although she had no direct knowledge, Itchon said she knew about Estrada’s involvement through her dealings with Singson and Yolanda Ricaforte, who kept records of the payoffs.

Although she worked for Singson as an accountant for a company, Fontain Bleau, she also received a monthly salary of P40,000 from Ricaforte.

Prosecutors allege that Estrada formed a company, Fontain Bleau, using jueteng bribe money in April 1999.

Itchon said Estrada received bribes from a certain Romy Pineda, brother of suspected jueteng kingpin Rodolfo "Bong" Pineda and from Estrada’s son, then San Juan mayor Jinggoy Estrada.

Assistant Ombudsman Dennis Villa Ignacio said Itchon’s testimony gave them an inside look on where and how Estrada received bribe money.

"She is very close to Singson. Her testimony strengthens our claims that former President Estrada and Jinggoy have something to do with jueteng. Itchon’s credibility is very, very high as far as we are concerned," Villa Ignacio said.

Crescini argued that Itchon’s testimony was not credible because it was based, he said, on hearsay.

"The testimony of Itchon in its entirety very clearly shows that (it is) planted on gossip. That the information she knows only derived from Singson and Ricaforte. And there is no document and paper that tend to show that former President Estrada is the owner of Fontain Bleau, and Jinggoy and the former president have participation in jueteng," Crescini said.

Fontain Bleau’s incorporators were Singson’s daughter Regina Singson-Lim, Jesus Pineda, Edmundo Silverio, Romulo Reyes, and Estrada’s friend and co-accused Jaime Dichaves. Prosecutors say they acted as fronts for Estrada.

Crescini argued that Regina Singson-Lim’s position in Fontain Bleau as its treasurer proved that Singson was "the most guilty."

"It only shows the fingers of the Singsons in Fontain Bleau. Everything was done through the instruction of Singson, from the receipt to the delivery of jueteng collections," he said.

Estrada lawyer Manuel Pamaran said Itchon’s testimony failed to show that Estrada owned Fontain Bleau.

"Everything originated from Singson. Itchon said Fontain Bleau belongs to the Estradas. But nowhere did it appear that Estrada is the incorporator, director or treasurer of Fontain Bleau," Pamaran said. "On the contrary, Itchon said Singson’s daughter is one of the incorporators, director and treasurer of Fontain Bleau and the corporate secretary is his cousin, attorney Manuel Singson."

To prove Estrada’s involvement, Itchon, under questioning by prosecutor Richard Fadullon, produced mobile phone billing statements detailing Ricaforte’s calls to Estrada, Jinggoy, Singson, Romy Pineda and Estrada lawyer Edward Serapio.