In addition, Antonio was initially detained in the air-conditioned office of San Juan police chief Fernando Dumpit. Senators are furious that a local law enforcer was moonlighting as bodyguard to Antonio. The gambler says the arrangement was a perk from his days as chairman of the Games and Amusement Board, a post he relinquished in 1992. But some suspect that Antonio's powerful connections may have influenced police moves. He belongs to a family linked to gambling and other rackets in the 1960s.
Senatorial anger seems to have had an effect on the police.
Dumpit was fired. Antonio's bodyguard and driver, together with the police sleuth who tampered with the laser sight, have been charged with accessory to murder after a security guard recanted his testimony that the death was accidental. A decision is now pending on whether the case will go to trial. The perception is growing that, despite his crime-busting image, Estrada counts underworld characters among his friends. Some in Manila would like such views to stick, for Estrada is a leading contender in the presidential polls of 1998.