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January 12, 2001, Sun Star, Laarni flees to HK, in tears over ill-gotten wealth raps,

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January 12, 2001, Sun Star, Laarni flees to HK, in tears over ill-gotten wealth raps,

MANILA -- A mistress of impeached President Estrada has fled to Hong Kong to escape summons to testify in the Chief Executive's corruption trial, the Senate secretary said Thursday.

Laarni Enriquez, a former movie starlet who has three young children by Estrada, left for Hong Kong even though she knew she would be subpoenaed to testify on Jan. 17, Senate Secretary Lutgardo Barbo told reporters.

Barbo said that when the subpoena was sent to Enriquez's home on Wednesday, a housemaid told the servers they would have to come back on Thursday but when they returned, they found "she already left for Hong Kong."

But a close friend of Enriquez denied that she already left the country. Ofelia Que told radio dzMM that Enriquez "is still here," although she is very sickly.

Que said Enriquez has been driven to tears by insinuations that she kept some of President Estrada's alleged ill-gotten wealth in her bank account. She is "hurting, she was crying. It was just too much," Que said.

But Barbo, reacting to reports that Enriquez already left for Hong Kong, said "there was deceit" in Enriquez's act, adding that one of the prosecutors in the corruption trial, Rep. Joker Arroyo, plans to file a motion to declare Enriquez in contempt of court.

Airport sources said that Enriquez, as well as another Estrada associate, businessman William Gatchalian, were on the manifest of a Philippine Airlines plane that left for Hong Kong on Thursday morning.

News of her departure came just hours after Que insisted that she was still in the country. She denied that Enriquez maintained a Citibank account.

Prosecutors had told the Senate tribunal on Tuesday that Estrada, his wife Luisa Ejercito, and at least three mistresses held substantial funds in the local branch of Citibank NA.

The trial has focused on charges that Estrada received huge bribes from illegal gambling syndicates and skimmed off government funds. Prosecutors allege that some of this wealth financed a lavish lifestyle for Estrada's mistresses, including a luxury mansion for Enriquez.

Estrada would be unseated if found guilty of the charges. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Que, for her part, insisted that Enriquez does not own the luxury mansion she and her children once occupied, stating they only rented the house while their own home was being renovated.

She described Enriquez as "very quiet, very low profile, a good person" who was deeply religious. Estrada, a former top movie star, openly admits having several mistresses. (Sunnex/wires)

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stevenwarran

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on Dec 21, 12