Prosecutor fears the ex-Philippine president's detention could turn into a holiday
The detention of ousted Philippine president Joseph Estrada could turn into a holiday if anti-crime groups fail to stop growing momentum from the administration for him to be moved to house arrest in his luxury villa outside Manila.
Estrada, 66, was transferred yesterday morning to Camp Capinpin, home of the army's 2nd Infantry Division in Tanay, Rizal - a two-hour drive from the military hospital in suburban Manila where he had been confined since June 2001.
Police claimed there had been a 'security threat' that included plucking Estrada out of the hospital to derail the visit of US President George W. Bush on Sunday.
Yesterday, Estrada expressed a wish for 'a little comfort' and said he would ask the anti-graft court to let him stay in his own holiday home near Camp Capinpin, which he described as a modest 'one-bedroom house'.
But special prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio said that Estrada's 15-hectare property, located 200 metres from Camp Capinpin, had a 'Mediterranean-style' villa with 14 guest rooms, a swimming pool, covered basketball court and a stable for retired racehorses.
Mr Villa-Ignacio said he stayed in Estrada's villa for a seminar 18 years ago. Estrada, then a mayor, had opened up the property for a fee to hikers, religious groups and seminar attendees.