• Former SEC chairman Perfecto Yasay told the impeachment court that President Estrada offered to fund his campaign if he decides to run as congressional representative of Davao. Yasay said the offer was made to persuade him to resign from office.
• He also said that the BW scandal may have a connection to the disappearance of PR man Bubby Dacer, who, he claimed, knew something about the gaming firm.
• The defense panel presented video footage of separate interviews with Yasay to stress that Yasay denied more than four times that he was pressured by Estrada to clear Dante Tan and BW Resources.
• The prosecution moved to withdraw Anton Prieto as witness, a move that will lead to the striking off from the impeachment court records of everything that he has said.

• Ex-finance secretary Edgardo Espiritu told the impeachment tribunal President Estrada ordered the Philippine National Bank (PNB) president to grant a P600-million loan to gambling firm BW Resources. Espiritu was quoting the PNB president who reported the matter to him. The defense declared the statement as hearsay, but Chief Justice Hilario Davide ruled that it remain on record.
• Senator-Judge Renato Cayetano received a bullet and a letter threatening his life.
• Espiritu said Executive Secretary Edgardo Angara and three presidential friends tried to dissuade him from testifying yesterday, using a legal case against his son as a carrot stick.
• The former cabinet official also revealed he saw smugglers attending social functions at Malacañang and that he suspected that the Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau was abolished because the agency caught someone close to the President.
• Former SEC Chairman Perfecto Yasay Jr. claimed that he was asked by President Estrada to clear Dante Tan of the BW insider trading scandal.
• Yasay confirmed that Eva Lesbo, whom Tan alleged as the one who received the 200,000 shares of BW stocks as bribe, is a member of his church.

• Senator-Judges arrived at a consensus that the allegation made by Senator-Judge Renato Cayetano, accusing President Estrada of intervening in favor of the accused in the Vizconde murder case, will not be discussed in the impeachment trial but will be referred instead to the Senate. The privilege speech of Cayetano, though, will remain in the impeachment trial records.
• Former Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) president Jose Luis Yulo admitted that the President did not categorically tell him to exonerate friend Dante Tan of insider trading charges.
• Yulo told the impeachment court that he considered Estrada a friend and this was one of the reasons that made him believe that the President should resign. He said if Estrada had resigned, he would have been spared the indignities of an impeachment and his resignation would have even been considered an act of courage.
• Daily Tribune business editor Emeterio Perez testified he was with then SEC chairman Perfecto Yasay Jr. when Estrada called on Nov. 19, 1999. He said he heard Yasay tell the President that an investigation should be done on Dante Tan, in relation to insider trading allegations.
• 33rd prosecution witness Edgardo Espiritu told the court that Estrada did not only intervene in the BW stock scam to save presidential friend Dante Tan but also to protect Estrada's shares of stocks with the BW Resources Corp.
• 34th witness Perfecto Yasay Jr. claimed he was pressured by Malacañang into reversing a SEC decision against a project that would benefit Estrada's mistress Guia Gomez.

• Senator-Judge Renato Cayetano, in an emotional privilege speech, accused President Estrada of having intervened in behalf of the accused in the Vizconde murder case. Cayetano was reacting to what he referred to as "black propaganda," meant to influence his judgment as senator-judge in the impeachment trial against Estrada. He denied allegation made by presidential pal Dante Tan that he (Cayetano) earned P70 million from shares in gambling firm BW Resources.
• Senator-Judge Rodolfo Biazon called the attention of the impeachment court to a mock trial aired on the radio, discussing the testimonies and evidence used in the trial. He said the radio program made a mockery of the trial proceedings.
• Prosecution witness Ruben Almadro admitted that while the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) compliance and surveillance group found Dante Tan liable of insider trading, the investigation report was not acted on by higher authority.
• Senator-Judge Franklin Drilon asked the court to issue an order directing lawyer-brothers Sigfrid and Raymond Fortun and lawyer Alfredo Villamor, all of the defense panel, to show cause why they should not be cited for contempt. Drilon reasoned that the lawyers wasted the court's time and even misled it because the Delia Rajas that was presented to the court was not the same Rajas that withdrew money from the tobacco excise tax in 1998.
• Senator-Judge Nikki Coseteng manifested that she may also do the same for Representative-Prosecutor Oscar Gonzales. She stuck to her stand that the prosecutor insinuated that she was not telling the truth about former PSE head Jose Luis Yulo's presence in the courtroom while Almadro was giving his testimony.
• Yulo, the prosecution's 30th witness, testified that he was set up to meet with Dante Tan, after a meeting with former SEC chairman Perfecto Yasay to discuss BW Resources. He also corroborated most of what Almadro told the impeachment court.

Day 18 Highlights
Jan. 9, 2001

• Senator-Judge Miriam Defensor-Santiago withdraws motion to reconsider ban on trial spectators Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption president Dante Jimenez, Rosanna Fores and Bettina Aboitiz.
• None of the senator-judges made any manifestation after Santiago reiterated she "will vehemently oppose" any motion for reconsideration of the ban.
• Prosecution witness Victor Lim, vice president of Citibank, confirmed that a Metrobank check of P8.4 million was deposited in the account of First Lady Loi Ejercito.
• In view of the deposit's amount, the bank attempted to conduct a "friendly query" but the First Lady was not available to answer questions. Bank accepted the deposit anyway because the depositor is the First Lady.
• Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. denies motion to quash filed by the defense against summons on Ruben Almagro, Mary Ann Corpuz and Jose Luis Yulo of the Philippine Stock Exchange. Davide also denied motion to quash summons on BIR officials.
• Prosecution panel urged the Senate impeachment court to issue a subpoena ad testificandum et duces tecum to Former Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora in connection with the Executive Order issued by the President to the Bureau of Custom for the transfer of all the seized articles by the agency.

• Defense asked prosecution witness Caridad Rodenas, cashier of LBP-Shaw Blvd. branch, to identify Delia Rajas, insisting that she was on the gallery watching the proceedings.
• Rodenas assured the impeachment tribunal she would recognize the Rajas who came to her bank on Aug. 28, 1998, provided she did not change her appearance.
• The Land Bank cashier went around the gallery but said the Delia Rajas who opened an account in Land Bank was not present.
• Defense called to the stand 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.
• The Delia Rajas presented by the defense was the Rajas referred to in the SSS application form presented as one of the prosecution's exhibits.
• 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 were irked over 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 conducted a short direct examination on Sales, after the defense stipulated to the SEC documents presented as evidence.
• Victor Lim, Citibank vice president, appeared to testify on the bank account of First Lady Loi Ejercito. The prosecution said the P8-million check issued by Gov. Chavit Singson came from jueteng.

• Prosecution presents bank documents showing how a total of P170 million was transferred from Land Bank of the Philippines-Vigan to Land Bank of the Philippines-Shaw Blvd., broken down in various deposits to the accounts of Eleuterio Tan, Delia Rajas, Alma Alfaro and Lucio Severio.
• Rajas' SSS records show that she was connected with Power Management Consultancy Inc., where Charlie "Atong" Ang is an officer.
• The photo on an identification card of Eleuterio Tan, accountant, was the same as that on the driver's license of Victor Jose Tan Uy.
• Senator-judge Miriam Defensor-Santiago thanked the Supreme Court for issuing a temporary restraining order on Akbayan for picketing her residence
• Defense refused to accept as part of the evidence, the Citibank account of First Lady Loi Ejercito opened with an P8-million check issued by Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson
• An official of the Land Bank of the Philippines - Shaw boulevard branch confirmed that she knew Alma Alfaro even before the latter opened an account which served as a funnel for the P40-million fund from Ilocos Sur

• Witness Ma. Jazmin Banal told the impeachment tribunal she was never aware of the identity of the owners of two firms, Alexie Equities and Pio Holdings, which the prosecution has claimed to be syndicates to funnel jueteng money to President Estrada. (She had been named as one of the incorporators, although she said she was also made to sign a blank deed of assignment.)
• A furious Senator-judge Miriam Defensor Santiago requested that three persons, whom she said stood and looked at her "provocatively" while Senator-judge Raul Roco questioned Banal, be held in contempt of court.
• Dante Jimenez of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, Rosanna Fores and Bettina Araneta-Aboitiz, whom Santiago accused of allegedly violating court rules on decorum, were permanently barred from attending the impeachment trial. They apparently were not given a chance to explain.
• Lawyer Emilia Padua, head of the Pagcor entertainment and bingo department, testified that the gaming board hired Prominent Marketing Consulting Group represented by Charlie "Atong" Ang.
• Padua said Prominent was hired to identify sales agents of Bingo 2 Ball games and collect from them. Prominent Marketing did not have a contract with Pagcor, but the agreement was that the firm gets two percent of the total sales of Bingo 2 Ball games.
• Padua admitted that Bingo 2 Ball, whose trial operations got the verbal clearance of President Estrada, was meant to "legalize" jueteng and that some sales agents of the new game were jueteng operators.
• Senator-judge John Osmeña called the attention of Chief Justice Hilario Davide to a microphone he found behind him. The microphone belonged to GMA 7 and the TV station's cameraman was told to explain, under oath, the presence of the device. The microphone was later removed.

• Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson admitted he falsified documents to make it appear that government funds were used to purchase equipment for a tobacco curing farm. But he said it was all under President Estrada's instructions.
• Singson said he knew from the start that he was committing a crime when he covered up for the President.
• Singson said presidential pal Jojo Uy, a businessman, could enter Malacañang without undergoing security check. The governor said Uy, who has businesses in Cebu, is "very powerful and influential" when it comes to the President. Uy allegedly cashed a total of P90 million in August 1998. This amount, Singson said, formed part of the P130-million fund that was given to Estrada from out of the Ilocos Sur share of the tobacco excise taxes.
• Singson and Estrada's chief lawyer Estelito Mendoza traded testy remarks but the governor was not shaken from his testimony that collections, mostly in P1,000 bills, were either deposited in banks or handed over to the President over a two-year period.

• Lawyers of President Estrada refused to cross-examine prosecution witness Clarissa Ocampo. They considered her testimony to be immaterial to the articles of impeachment.
• Ocampo said lawyer Manuel Curato asked her to go to Malacañang and that she assumed she would probably meet the President.
• Ocampo said the investment agreement was confidential, referred to only as C-163 and not by the account name. She said she pulled out a lot of the documents since the President didn't want to sign too many papers.
• Ocampo again said she had no idea of the signatory and under what name the investment management agreement would be signed, and that she found out that it would be the President only an hour before the actual signing.
• Ocampo said she is testifying because: she saw the President sign as Jose Velarde; Chua remembered that she was there and so she was afraid for her life and security of her family; there was an instruction from Equitable PCIBank chair and presidential friend George Go to prepare another set of investment management documents. This second set was to be made for Jaime Dichaves. The signing was on Dec. 11, and it was done at the office of lawyer Estelito Mendoza (defense counsel), to transfer from Jose Velarde to Jaime Dichaves.
• Ocampo said Dichaves signed the second set of documents under his name, but the investment management documents were not implemented because the principal was really Jose Velarde, and they needed a directional letter from Velarde which never came. She said this happened on Dec. 13 last year.
• Ocampo said Chua told her that he had already brought the investment management matter to the senior management of the bank, and reminded her that she should "protect the President."
• Defense counsel Estelito Mendoza said he "had no participation at all in regard to this trust account." He said: "As far as my appearance in this case, I can withdraw anytime, but I have a function and duty to perform. If the President will allow it, I am prepared to withdraw from this case, however I am not one to withdraw from a case. But let it be clear that I am not withdrawing from the case on the basis of allegations of impropriety."
• Manuel Curato testified that on Feb. 4, 2000 he was at Malacañang with Clarissa Ocampo to have documents signed by President Estrada. He said Aprodicio Laquian and Fernando Chua were also there. Curato said the President signed the documents in their presence.

• Witness Clarissa Ocampo said President Estrada signed a P500-million trust account under the name Jose Velarde in her presence and that of the other witnesses
• Ocampo, senior vice president and trust officer of the Equitable PCI bank, said that Estrada also signed in as Jose Velarde in the specimen signature card and that she was shocked over the incident and thus she did not authenticate the document
• Eleuterio Tan, who was earlier identified as among those who encashed a managers check from out of the P200-million Ilocos Sur share of the tobacco excise tax, was traced to be Victor Jose Tan Uy of 2041 MJ Cuenco ave., Cebu City
• About three hours was spent arguing on whether or not to allow witness Ocampo to testify. Under the impeachment rules, she could not testify yet as Impeachment Article 1 has not yet been concluded yet
• Ocampo's testimonies was vigorously opposed by the defense counsels as almost prosecution question was objected to by Atty. Jose Flaminiano
• Another witness, Manuel Curato, who reportedly witnessed the signing of President Estrada as Jose Velarde went to the Senate yesterday to testify. He was not able to do so for lack of time

• Yolando Ricaforte walked into Equitable PCI Bank Diliman to open an account with an initial deposit of P500,000 cash, said branch manager Rosario Bautista. A few days later, she deposited two checks for P35 million each or a total of P70 million drawn by William Gatchalian, a friend of President Estrada.
• Ricaforte had several accounts in six Equitable PCI Bank branches.
• She requested for cashier's checks worth millions of pesos from the different Equitable PCI branches from March to April this year.
• Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. chided the prosecution for issuing a statement that the bank account documents in a sealed envelope, which were in the custody of the Senate secretary, were "tampered". He reminded lawyers of their duties as officials of the court in making statements to the media.
• Prosecutor Oscar Moreno told the impeachment tribunal that he never insinuated that tampering, if there was any, was done while the bank documents were in the custody of the Senate.
• Of the five witnesses presented yesterday by the prosecution, all Equitable PCI bank managers, the defense panel cross-examined only one.

• The sealed envelope containing records of the Jose Valhalla account was opened before the impeachment court.
• Prosecution lawyers claimed that the entry on a P142-million transaction has erasures.
• Reporters Christine Herrera and Carlito Pablo of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) confirmed that their spouses worked for Senator Judge Loren Legarda - Leviste and Rep. Roilo Golez, respectively during a hearing for contempt.
• PNP Chief Panfilo Lacson denied that the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force is involved in the surveillance or monitoring of opposition senators and the rest of the 100 people identified by a news article.
• PLDT employe Flodina Pasamba, Lacson claimed, is the one who gave the PDI "source" copies of the "call-detail records."
• 12th witness Rufo Colayco claimed he was called by President Estrada to Malacanang for a meeting on the establishment of a Fontainebleu casino inside the Clark Development Park.
• He also claimed the President had asked for the 35 percent share in the income of the casino.
• Lucio Co, operator of the largest duty-free shop in the country, reportedly gained ownership of the Fontana Resort.

• 2 reporters explain details on the surveillance conducted allegedly by PAOCTF on impeachment prosecutors, judges and some witnesses.
• PNP Chief Panfilo Lacson finds the testimonies "incredible, ludicrous" and dares source to take the witness stand in fairness to the people accused.
• Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez says she was quoted out of context by the Inquirer and prefers a formal charge before answering; Davide gives her five days to reply to the motion to cite her to indirect contempt.
• 10th prosecution witness Annie Ngo says the Yolando Ricaforte accounts plus the interest amounted to P217 million; she claims Ricaforte was allowed to open several accounts in several branches because these are within vicinity of her residential and office addresses.
• 11th witness Edelquinn Nantes, also of Equitable-PCI claims Ricaforte still has more than P6 million in an account, which was frozen by the bank on advice of the legal counsel.
• Ricaforte was top depositor and was considered a valued client by the bank's Timog branch; Nantes and other officials were surprised by Ricaforte, who was a walk-in client but opened accounts in millions of pesos.
• Witness Luis Singson takes the witness stand again to nail Estrada on Article 2: graft and corruption. Claims Estrada asked for P130 million from the P200- million fund released to Ilocos Sur as share of the tobacco excise tax.
• Singson also claims First Lady Loi Ejercito and son Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada were aware of the cash delivery; JV Ejercito, along with several high-ranking government officials, reportedly called on him to ask for settlement.

• Senator-judge Tessie Oreta moves to cite Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez in contempt for statements that appeared in a national paper.
• Impeachment presiding officer Hilario Davide Jr. defers making his order for the prosecution to open the sealed envelope containing the details of the "Jose Valhalla" account until today, Tuesday.
• Broadcast journalist Jay Sonza, the ninth witness, testifies that President Estrada confirmed being offered P200 million in jueteng money and that he later knew that this was deposited in a bank account after his counsel, Edward Serapio, accepted it.
• Equitable PCI Bank first vice president Annie Ngo recalls how Yolanda Ricaforte opened several accounts in six bank branches and deposited about P200 million in eight months.