Estrada judge receives death threat

Estrada is accused of accepting huge bribes

The judge presiding over the corruption trial of Philippines President Joseph Estrada has received a death threat.

Chief Justice Hilario Davide received death threat

Supreme Court chief justice Hilario Davide read out the letter which accused him of being anti-Estrada.

But he told the trial he would continue to perform his duties even if it meant sacrificing his own life.

The letter was written on stationery from the office of the Vice President Gloria Arroyo, but Mr Davide said he did not believe the letter had come from her office.

It read: "We the Filipino people find you guilty for the crime of betrayal of public trust.

I will perform my duties to the best of my abilities even if it means the sacrifice of my own life

Chief Justice Hilario Davide

"Therefore, you are hereby sentenced to suffer the penalty of death, together with your family and relatives."

Mr Estrada is accused of receiving multi-million dollar bribes from illegal gambling bosses and skimming off taxes.

The president, who faces charges of corruption and bribery, has repeatedly denied the allegations.

He will be forced out of office if found guilty by two thirds of the Senate, which is acting as the jury in the impeachment trial.

Ms Arroyo leads an opposition coalition which has repeatedly called for Mr Estrada's resignation.

Contempt of court

Ms Arroyo and former president Corazon Aquino call for Estrada to quit

Earlier, the Senate threatened to charge a friend of Mr Estrada with contempt of court unless he answer allegations that he covered up a bank account allegedly used by the president to hide bribery money.

Jaime Dichaves has been summoned to appear by Monday to explain why he claimed ownership of a mystery account in the name of Jose Velarde.

Prosecutors say Velarde is an alias for Mr Estrada and the account was used to issue a $2.8m cheque to buy a mansion for one of his mistresses.

Ms Ocampo dealt a blow to Estrada's defence

Last month Mr Dichaves sent the tribunal a letter claiming ownership of the multi-million dollar Equitable Bank account.

But the bank's senior vice president, Clarissa Ocampo, subsequently testified that Mr Estrada, and not Mr Dichaves, was the real owner.

She said former bank chairman George Go, a friend of Mr Estrada, had ordered her to replace documents linking the account to Mr Estrada with new ones showing Mr Dichaves as the owner.

Mr Go has resigned his position with the bank.