Erap lawyer hints at suing beauty queen's backers

A lawyer of former President Joseph Estrada said politicians who prodded and financially backed former beauty queen Joelle Pelaez to sue the ousted leader for money laundering may be held criminally liable. Rufus Rodriguez, said former presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor and Ilocos Sur Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson, who are both running for senator under the administration’s Team Unity were behind the Pelaez’s move to file money laundering charges against Estrada. Rodriguez made the statement after Pelaez’s mother, Blanquita, told reporters it was Defensor who paid for their round-trip plane tickets to the Philippines, and provided shopping money in exchange to their agreement to file money laundering charges against Estrada. "We are still awaiting for the affidavit (of Blanquita). If it’s true that they paid for the expenses incurred by Pelaez, then they will be liable," he said. The 29-year-old Pelaez, who was second runner-up in the 1999 Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant and is an American citizen, had accused Estrada and eight others before the Pasig City Prosecutor’s Office of laundering P2 billion worth of stocks and other debt instruments using her name without her knowledge. The Estrada lawyer also said that Singson paid for the press conferences called for by Pelaez. The Ilocos Sur governor was seated beside the former beauthy conference during the press conference held at a posh hotel in Ortigas, Pasig. Singson, a key witness in Estrada’s impeachment trial in 2000-01, also provided security for Pelaez and her mother during their stay in the country, Rodriguez said. Rodriguez added that Estrada’s camp had known of successive meetings between Defensor and Blanquita in Malacañang Palace last year and had correctly assumed the reason behind this when Joelle sudden appearance in May 2006 to accuse Estrada of using her bank account to launder billions of pesos. "There was obviously a well-orchestrated and well-funded attempt to destroy Pres. Estrada's reputation not only in the eyes of the public, but especially before the honorable justices of teh Sandiganbayan. They were hoping that they would in some way influence the justices as they prepared to listen to Estrada's testimony," he said. Rodriguez also said Estrada was surprised by Pelaez's mother's pronouncements but welcomed the developments. "The truth will set me free. I feel vindicated before the court of public opinion," Estrada said in a statement. The Makati Prosecutor's Office has dismissed fraud charges filed by Pelaez while Estrada’s counter-charge of libel against the former beauty queen remains pending before the Pasig regional trial court. -GMANews.TV