[originaltext] Manila (dpa) -Philippine President Joseph Estrada demanded a c

Manila (dpa) -Philippine President Joseph Estrada demanded a cut in the share of tobacco taxes intended to support farmers in the northern, province of Ilocos Sur as a condition to releasing the funds; a local official alleged on Tuesday.
   On the 9th day of the impeachment trial of Estrada, llocos Sur provincial Governor Luis Singson testified that the chief executive asked for the kickbacks to help repay debts incurred in the presidential campaign in 1998.
   Singson is the prosecution’s star witness in the impeachment trial of Estrada, who is accused of bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust and violations of the constitution.
   The governor, a former drinking and gambling buddy of the president, said he agreed to the condition to ensure that the much-needed funds would be released immediately to boost Ilocos Sur’s tobacco industry.
   "When I asked him about his campaign promise to release the funds, he told me, ’I hope you can help me since I have many expenses in the elections’ ", Singson told the Senate tribunal. "I told him I will give him 10 per cent of the funds to be released."
   The Department of Budget subsequently released 200 million pesos (4 million dollars) of llocos Sur’s share of the tobacco taxes, which was provided for by a law.
   Singson said the president asked for 130 million pesos (2.6 million dollars) of the amount, instead of the 10 per cent cut. The money was given to Estrada through Charlie "Atong"Ang, a close presidential friend.
   The governor said First Lady Loi Ejercito and presidential son Mayor Jinggoy Estrada also got a portion of the kickbacks. He added that Estrada asked him to cover-up the kickbacks until more funds could be released.
   The president’s defence lawyers are set to cross-examine Singson on January 2, 2001.
   Singson earlier testified that Estrada collected more than 8 million dollars in illegal gambling payoffs. The prosecution has established a paper trail for the money, a part of which has been deposited to a bank account of a foundation Estrada set up for Moslem youth scholars.
   The senator-judges on Tuesday also affirmed the decision of Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide, the presiding officer in the trial, to allow prosecutors to inspect records of a bank account suspected to be secretly owned by Estrada.
   The court, however, postponed the opening of a sealed envelope containing documents pertaining to the Equitable PCI Bank account until after the defence’s motion for reconsideration of the ruling is resolved.
   Prosecutors said the bank account, which is under the name of Jose Valhalla, is actually owned by Estrada. They stressed that the account’s records were key to proving that Estrada is "committing a continuing offence" of graft and corruption.
   Estrada would be removed from office before the end of his six-year term in 2004 if two-thirds of the 22-member Senate find him guilty in any of the four articles of impeachment. A verdict is not expected until the end of January 2001.
   The senate tribunal also set another special session for Wednesday to look into reports that a police intelligence agency has been illegally monitoring the telephone calls of the members of impeachment court.
Prosecutors, senator-judges and other people identified to be have been illegally monitored have expressed outrage over the illegal monitoring, which the reporters said became "full-blown" when the impeachment trial of Estrada started on December 7.