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Arrested Former Philippine President Transferred out of Manila
Philippine police authorities airlifted arrested former President Joseph Estrada out of Manila to a prison facility in a neighboring province Saturday morning for security reasons.
A police helicopter carried Estrada, who has been in custody in the police headquarters in Manila since he was arrested on Wednesday, to Fort. Sto. Domingo in Laguna province, the ABS-CBN news channel reported.
Police chief Leandro Mendoza made the decision for fear that Estrada's supporters, who have been staging protest rallies at the Edsa Shrine not far away from Estrada's detention cell, may charge into the police headquarters, it said, quoting presidential spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao.
The former president, toppled on January 20 in a military- backed popular uprising, was ordered arrested on Wednesday by the anti-graft court on the charge of economic plunder, a non-bailable offense punishable by death. He was accused of illegally amassing 4.1 billion pesos (82 million US dollar) during his 31 months in office.
The transfer became possible after the anti-graft court, where Estrada will be tried, approved Friday a petition from police officials and prosecutors to transfer Estrada to a place safer for the fallen president.
But Estrada's lawyers oppose the move, saying it would cause difficulty for their client to consult with them.
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