January 9, 2001, Sun Star, Ang's cook used for dirty tricks',

January 9, 2001, Sun Star, Ang's cook used for dirty tricks', 

• LBP official dared to identify Delia Rajas in courtroom as the one who transacted with her in bank whose photo appeared in ID

• Fortun then produced one Delia Rajas a cook of Atong Ang's mother, incurring ire of some senators who thought court was misled by defense lawyers

• Roco scored 'duplication' citing use of names of other persons to confuse money trail

MANILA -- The Delia Rajas who opened an account with a deposit of P50 million with Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) Shaw blvd. branch is an impostor.

This was the claim of defense lawyer Siegfrid Fortun after prosecution witness Caridad Rodenas, an LBP Shaw Blvd. branch cashier, failed to find Rajas in the audience during the 18th day of the impeachment hearing Monday.

Fortun asked Rodenas to identify Rajas in the gallery, assuring that she (Rajas) is inside the courtroom.

The Delia Rajas that the defense brought to court is from Camarines Sur and is a cook of the household of Catalina Ang, mother of presidential friend Charlie "Atong" Ang. Rodenas did not recognize her as the one who opened an account with the bank on Aug. 28, 1998.

She told the impeachment court that she would recognize Rajas, Alma Alfaro and Eleuterio Tan. The three presented IDs when they went to the bank to withdraw P130 million.

Several senator-judges were visibly irked upon realizing that Fortun made Rodenas go around the audience gallery to identify Rajas, knowing that the woman who was in the ID photos is different from the one they brought to court.

Some senator-judges described Fortun's strategy as "misleading," "an unfair, dirty trick," and may be a ground for the court to cite the defense lawyer in contempt.

Sen. Raul Roco scored the "duplicity" of the defense panel, citing the use of names of other persons to confuse the money trail.

Senator-Judge Franklin Drilon stressed that if the stenographic records will show that Fortun asked Rodenas to identify the Rajas who withdrew P40 million from among the gallery, and not the Rajas who cooks for the Angs, the lawyer could be cited for contempt of court.

Rajas, Alfaro and Tan went to the bank to cash in the P130-million checks that was issued by Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson.

The amount represents the province's share of the tobacco excise tax, which was siphoned to President Estrada's personal funds.

Singson's allegations that the President received bribes from illegal gambling lords and skimmed Ilocos Sur's tax share form part of the Articles of Impeachment against the President.

The Rajas presented by the defense is different from the one whose photo appeared in two IDs presented to LBP Shaw blvd. branch upon the opening of the account.

These IDs were of a Rajas connected with the Solid Builders Center and ET Enterprises Inc.

Before the angry outburst of some senator-judges, Fortun refused to present Rajas in court.

Senator-Judge Miriam Santiago described Fortun's action as "unconventional, to say the least."

Rajas, after taking an oath, admitted to the court that defense lawyer Raymond Fortun (Siegfrid's younger brother) spoke to her Sunday night and told her to appear in the impeachment trial.

She only responded to questions raised by the senator-judges as she was neither a prosecution nor a defense witness.

Rajas said she did not mind when she learned that someone was using her name in relation to Singson's allegations.

She admitted, though that her employer, the Angs, mentioned the impeachment case to her and that she met Fortun in Atong Ang's office.

The 36-year-old cook was able to enter the Senate using pass 05831, which was issued for Belen Piamonte.

She said that the card was given to her by the two women who picked her up after Allan Ang (brother of Atong) dropped her in Makati city.

The two women were interrogated after the session.

Rodenas revealed that Alfaro was familiar to her because she (Alfaro) conducted other transactions separate from her personal account.

She said Alfaro, a valued client, represented Catalina Ang.

Also in Monday's hearing, Sen. Robert Barbers in a letter to the Senate said he is undergoing speech therapy and will be back officially on Feb. 10 yet.

He promised, though, to appear in the Senate if there is a voting related to the impeachment trial before Feb. 10.

The lawyer of former presidential legal adviser Edward Serapio also wrote the Senate, stating he does not have the documents pertaining to the President's Muslim Youth Foundation.

Sen. Raul Roco requested for the documents during the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the jueteng issue.

Upon direct examination, Rodenas said Tan and Rajas appeared together with Alma Alfaro on Aug. 28, 1998.

When she testified that Alfaro also represented Catalina Ang, the defense charged that this was "immaterial" and that prosecution was delving in "too much speculation."

The bank cashier also told the impeachment court that Yolanda Uy, sister of Atong Ang, called her four times, requesting the bank to delete records on Power Express, a company associated with those who opened the contentious bank accounts at Land Bank.

Singson had testified that he, along with Ang, delivered the money withdrawn from LBP to Estrada's residence sometime in 1998 and that part of the funds went to the first lady, his two sons.

Day 17 trial highlights

• Defense presented Delia Rajas, who cooks for the household of Catalina Ang, mother of Charlie "Atong" Ang. But she is not the same Delia Rajas who opened an account with Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) Shaw Blvd. branch with a P50-million deposit.

• Prosecution witness Caridad Rodenas, cashier of LBP Shaw Blvd. branch, said she would recognize the Rajas who came to her bank on Aug. 28, 1998, provided she has not change her appearance. But she failed to identify Rajas, who brought to the impeachment court by the defense.

• Defense lawyer Siegfrid Fortun admitted they knew Rajas is not the same one in the ID photos submitted to LBP Shaw Blvd.

• Several senator-judges got irked at Fortun's actions, saying it was "unfair, misleading and a dirty trick," which can be a ground for the court to cite the lawyer in contempt.

• Rodenas confirmed that the Eleuterio Tan, who appeared with Rajas and Alma Alfaro on Aug. 28, 1998 to open an account at the bank, is the same one whose photo appeared in the LTO records (computer-generated photograph of Victor Jose Tan Uy) and in the two IDs for Solid Builders Center and ET Enterprises Inc.

• Ferdinand Sales of the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) appeared to prove that the incorporation of the Prominent Consultants and Management came later than the award to operate the Bingo-2 Ball.

• Cebu Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez was the one who conducted the short direct examination of Sales, after the defense stipulated to the SEC documents presented as evidence.

• Victor Lim, Citibank vice president, appeared to testify on the account of First Lady Loi Ejercito. The prosecution said P8-million check issued by Gov. Chavit Singson came from jueteng.