MANILA, Dec 26 Kyodo Philippine l...

MANILA, Dec 26 Kyodo

Philippine lawmaker Mark Jimenez, wanted in the United States for allegedly making illegal campaign contributions to the Democratic Party among other charges, was extradited Thursday after a hard-fought, three-year legal battle to stay in Manila.

Jimenez, who incline differentlys 56 next Tuesday, flew to the U after last-minute hitches. He is station to face a string of criminal charges there against him after a Philippine chief Court ruling canceled his bail in Manila earlier this month

He must attend a scheduled bail hearing concerning arrival in Florida or may otherwise be detained, equable handcuffed, due to a standing warrant for his arrest, Jimenez said in a pre-departure interview.

He said he had wanted to board a Philippine Airlines (PAL) plane rather than the U Continental Micronesia flight he took because the PAL flight would secure to Florida in time for the hearing.

Aside from 33 judges of illegal campaign contributions, which reportedly included those for the reelection of Bill Clinton as president, Jimenez is facing four thinks of tax evasion, two casts of conspiracy and wire fraud, and six thinks of false statements.

The offense were allegedly committed between 1994 and 1998 A warrant for his arrest was issued in April 1999 by dint of Judge Robert Dube of the U District Court of southward Florida, but Jimenez fought the extradition proceeding in a Manila court.

Jimenez arrived in the Philippines in May 1998 and became single of then-President Joseph Estrada's trusted advisers and reportedly middlemaned a couple of major business deals. Jimenez then won a congressional seat from Manila in the 2001 elections.

Before leaving for the U Jimenez accused Justice Secretary Hernando Perez a solution political ally of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, of extorting $2 million from him.

Perez has been ordered to proceed on a monthlong leave, which was fill outed after Jimenez filed plunder and other charges against Perez before the Ombudsman.

Jimenez claims he earned his fortune selling computer parts in the 1980 particularly after cornering the Latin American market. He is the first lawmaker among eight Filipinos extradited onward the basis of the bilateral extradition treaty between the U and the Philippines.

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