Philippine authorities are concerned deposed president Joseph Estrada could use "ill-gotten wealth" to cook up trouble for the new administration which wants to jail him for corruption, an official said Wednesday.
Estrada is not considered a security threat at this time "because our perception is that he's just engaged in normal campaigning" for allies in next May's congressional elections, President Gloria Arroyo's chief security aide Roilo Golez said.
"However, if he starts using his reputed money to fund armed groups for example and maybe engage in illegal activities, then he would become a security threat."
Ousted in a military-backed popular revolt in January, Estrada insists he was illegally removed from office and is fighting a rear-guard battle in the courts to stop the Arroyo government from prosecuting him for alleged massive corruption.
The Supreme Court has already ruled that he no longer enjoys presidential immunity, but it has barred the new government from handing down criminal indictments against Estrada until after it issues a final ruling on the case.
National Security Adviser Golez told reporters the justice department has already estimated that Estrada "may have about 15 billion pesos' (306 million dollars') worth of illegally amassed wealth, or even more."
"Even with a hundred million pesos you can cause a lot of mischief here in the Philippines," he added.
But Golez suggested Estrada's largesse was now apparently flowing to the campaign kitties of opposition senatorial candidates, who include Estrada's wife Luisa Ejercito.
"There is some talk that some candidates are well-funded and this is quite obvious. If you just look at streets of Metro Manila and other places you would know which candidates from their end are spending a lot of money." – MANILA (AFP)
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