Laughter fills courtroom in Erap trial

What was supposed to be another hearing in the ongoing plunder trial of former President Joseph Estrada became an entertaining trip down memory lane for one of his defense witnesses yesterday.

Caloocan Rep. Luis Asistio, a former convicted felon and close friend of Estrada, drew laughter from the audience when he answered questions from state prosecutors about his turbulent past as a gang member in the 1960s.

"I was charged with so many things except rape," said Asistio, eliciting guffaws from the audience. "There was one case of carnapping."

"I don’t mind, your honors. I will answer everything truthfully," he told the three-member Sandiganbayan special division even though the defense objected to questions from Chief Prosecutor Dennis Villa Ignacio meant to test Asistio’s credibility.

Asistio did not flinch as he narrated his past as a member of the "Big 4" gang during the 1960s. He spent time at the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa City until he was pardoned by President Ferdinand Marcos during the 1970s.

"I am the bad (sic) sheep of the Asistios. This was what I said when I ran for public office. I want the people to know who are they voting for. I was the Asistio who was sent to jail," he said.

The courtroom intermittently burst into laughter when Asistio recalled the various criminal cases he faced in court. All except one of the 24 cases were dismissed even though he could not get a lawyer to represent him. He was convicted to life imprisonment for kidnapping.

"I did not have a lawyer then, your honor. But when I got myself a lawyer, a very good one at that, I was convicted," Asistio said to the audience’s amusement.

Asistio was presented by the defense to destroy the testimony of Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson, the prosecution’s main witness.

Singson had accused Estrada of running an illegal gambling protection racket and misusing government funds intended for tobacco farmers during his aborted presidency.

Prosecutors allege the former actor had illegally amassed millions of pesos from the protection racket and laundered the proceeds in secret local bank accounts and used them to build mansions for a string of mistresses.

Estrada denies the charges and claims his 2001 ouster by a military-backed popular uprising was illegal. He maintains his unprecedented plunder trial is rigged.

Singson’s allegations eventually led to Estrada’s impeachment but his impeachment trial ended in a farce when the Estrada-controlled Senate rejected evidence considered crucial to the prosecution.

That sparked a military-backed massive civilian protest that toppled Estrada. He was replaced by then vice president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.