Estrada moved to an army camp next door to his villa
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.
Mr Villa-Ignacio objected to Estrada's transfer to the army base because 'he might end up in the vacation house, practically moving like a free man'.
'That far away, we can't keep track of his movements. How sure are we he'll be staying inside the army camp instead of his nearby rest house?' he asked.
At the weekend, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expressed support for Estrada's permanent transfer to the army camp.
'In my experience, I believe the transfer of Estrada would help heal the divisions brought about by Edsa II and Edsa III,' she said.
Edsa II refers to the ousting of Estrada as president in January 2001 by a military-backed people power movement, while Edsa III was a civil uprising led by Estrada supporters in May 2001 that nearly toppled Mrs Arroyo.
Senator Francis Pangilinan, who earlier voiced suspicions of a deal between Mrs Arroyo and Estrada for political ends, yesterday changed his tune. He did not object to Estrada's transfer provided the court approved it without 'outside interference'.
But Arno Sanidad, a lawyer with the Free Legal Assistance Group, said 'they're just courting the votes of Estrada supporters' ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for next year.
Chief Superintendent Prospero Noble, in charge of securing prisoners, said the police would move Estrada if the court approved.
In the past, high-profile prisoners in the Philippines have been found to have been discreetly allowed 'home leave' without court authority.
