Former president Joseph Estrada claimed in an ambush interview that his friend, Carlos Arellano, former head of the Social Security System (SSS) decided on his own to buy $14.88 million (P744 million) shares offered by Belle Corporation which is owned by the former's friend William Ocier in 1999.

"Everything was the reverse. It was him who called on October 6 (1999). He asked if we could help Willie Ocier. I told him, 'You are in the best position to know these things,'" Estrada quoted Arellano as saying in their supposed phone calls.

"What he said was dictated by the Department of Justice. When I stepped down (from office last January), they were threatened," Estrada said during a break in the $80.39 million (P4.1 billion) plunder trial filed by the government against him.

Arellano was at the witness stand for the third time and admitted that the SSS usually buys stocks as a form of investment. At the same time, he added that the purchase was done even before Estrada's alleged instruction on October 6.

Arellano testified that Estrada contacted him thrice between October 6 and 21, 1999, to order him to buy Belle shares, using public pension funds.

Willie Ocier, Belle vice chairman, testified earlier that Estrada received P189.7 million as commission for having persuaded Arellano and in stock trading of this company's shares.

He was presented as witness by government early this month. Estrada said Arellano has apparently been arm-twisted by the government.

He said Arellano has gone to the Justice Department after his government was ousted by a military backed uprising in January.