Estrada Locked in Private, Air-Conditioned Cell

Ousted Philippine President Joseph Estrada was locked in a private, air-conditioned jail cell in Manila today after being arrested on allegations that he plundered the country while in office, a charge that could bring the death penalty.

Estrada, who contends that he is still president, denies charges that he amassed a fortune worth more than $80 million through a series of corrupt deals and then used an alias to hide ill-gotten wealth.

“This is all done by my political enemies and big businessmen here, but I can assure you that I am innocent,” Estrada told the BBC in a telephone interview from jail after his arrest Wednesday. “I think the truth will come out in the end.”

Estrada, a former actor, was forced out of office in January by mass protests and the defection of his top military leaders. Fearing that a mob would overrun the presidential palace, he stepped aside and said he would take an indefinite leave of absence. However, the Supreme Court declared the presidency vacant and installed Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the nation’s leader.

Since Estrada’s ouster, the new administration has aggressively pursued the allegations against him. On Wednesday, Arroyo said the arrest shows that justice prevails in the Philippines.

“This is as it should be,” she said. “Justice is the key issue here.”

Despite damning evidence of his allegedly corrupt practices while president, Estrada remains popular among the nation’s poor. Hundreds of his supporters gathered outside his suburban Manila house Wednesday and formed a human barricade in an effort to prevent police from taking him away.

At one point, police turned water cannons on the protesters to drive them away. A more serious clash was averted, however, when the 64-year-old Estrada agreed to surrender peacefully.

The former president was taken to jail, where he will be allowed to keep his well-known pompadour hairstyle--at least until his trial.

Estrada’s son Jinggoy, mayor of a Manila suburb, also was arrested.

During the elder Estrada’s 31 months in office, he is said to have run the Philippines like one long party, with all-night drinking and gambling affairs where he allegedly signed lucrative special deals to help cronies. He also allegedly spent millions to buy houses for mistresses.

His presidency began to unravel last year when provincial Gov. Luis Singson, a onetime ally and drinking buddy, said he had given the president about $11 million in illegal gambling proceeds and cigarette tax revenues.

After Estrada was impeached, a bank official came forward to testify that she saw him sign the name Jose Velarde to bank documents. However, Estrada’s impeachment trial came to an abrupt halt when Senate allies blocked the introduction of bank documents showing deposits and withdrawals from the account.

Arroyo’s anti-corruption office said it is investigating six other plunder accusations against Estrada, including allegations that he sold real estate to the government at an inflated price.

Estrada, who contends that he still enjoys immunity because he never resigned, said he does not expect that the government will attempt to carry out the death penalty if he is convicted.

“As far as I’m concerned, I’m still the duly elected president under our constitution,” he told CNN in another telephone interview. “I was denied the due process of law, and they are making a mockery of the bill of rights.”