Estrada trial hears bugging claims

Key witness Luis Singson is also said to have been under surveillance

The Philippines national police chief has told President Joseph Estrada's impeachment trial that he will resign if phone-tapping allegations against his agency are proved true.

I'm willing to put my job on the line

Philippines police chief Panfilo Lacson

Charges that the phones of senators acting as trial judges were tapped were made at a special hearing by two journalists from the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Tuesday.

The Inquirer published a report this week suggesting the Estrada administration was monitoring calls to find out which of the 22 Senate members were for and against Mr Estrada.

One of the trial prosecutors, Wigberto Tanada, said in a radio interview that he believed he was under surveillance.

And the newspaper journalists said that key prosecution witness Luis Singson had also been under surveillance shortly before going public with his allegations last October.

Mr Estrada denies corruption allegations

Police chief Panfilo Lacson, a long-time associate of the president, said that he did not order any tapping personally.

But he added that it was possible that a rogue officer could have done so.

"I'm willing to put my job on the line," he said.

"If any of my people committed the acts as described in the newspapers, then I think I would have lost effective control over the task force and there is no reason to remain there a minute longer."

Bank records 'doctored'

Mr Estrada is accused of receiving more than $8m in bribes from operators of an illegal lottery game.

His trial goes into its 11th day on Friday with the prosecution promising new witnesses.

While Thursday's hearings were dominated by the phone-tapping allegations, prosecutors also reiterated Wednesday's allegations that crucial bank records appeared to have been doctored.

Prosecutor Romeo Capulong [l] studies bank documents

They had said the records would show President Estrada used a secret account under a false name to buy a luxury mansion for one of his mistresses.

But after examining the documents, prosecutor Romeo Capulong said there appeared to be "erasures" in the balance column of one of the statements.

Prosecutors have said the account was used to conceal pay-offs from underground gambling syndicates.

The envelope containing the documents was finally unsealed in the Senate on Wednesday after days of legal wrangling.

Mr Estrada's lawyers had tried to block the move, arguing the account had no bearing on the allegations faced by the president, but they later withdrew their objections.

The president has pleaded not guilty to bribery and corruption charges and says he will be acquitted.

He will be removed from office if two thirds of the Senate finds him guilty.