Friday, January 13, 2006
Defense hits prosecutor for seeking end of Estrada plunder proceedings
THE camp of deposed President Joseph Estrada on Thursday hit at chief Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio for his plan to ask the Sandiganbayan Special Division to terminate hearings of the Estrada's plunder and perjury cases.
Former Maguindanao congressman Didagen Dilangalen, spokesman for the detained ex-leader, has reminded the chief prosecutor in the plunder case that the plunder accused, still has the right to due process.
Villa-Ignacio, he said, should not in any way attempt to railroad a judicial process, much more to disregard the right to due process of Estrada, by insisting to the Special Division had already served enough time to hear the defense of the former President.
"This is an attempt to railroad the judicial process. He should be reminded that (judicial process) must be allowed to run its course especially since it involves the fate of a man who was the victim of a conspiracy, which robbed him of his presidential mandate," the spokesman said.
Dilangalen and lawyers for Estrada made this reaction following claims made by the chief special prosecutor urging the defense panel to wrap up its case by finally presenting the former leader to the court.
The defense had earlier told the court that they could not immediately present the "mystery witness", who is still outside the country and would only be available by middle of next month.
Dilangalen also stressed that the none availability of the mystery witness or any other witness to show up at the trial should not be taken to mean that the defense is already running out of witnesses.
In the case of Estrada being called this early at the witness stand, is too premature, according to the lawyers saying that they have to prepare him well first. And that is why they are asking the court to allow Estrada to be transferred from his detention in Tanay, Rizal to his residence on Polk
Street in Greenhills, San Juan, so they could prepare him before he testifies.
Besides, they are also waiting for the other witness.
"That is absolutely untrue (that we are running out of witnesses). Attorney Villa Ignacio should desist from trying to hype this up in media," the former congressman said.
"As president Estradas's lawyers have said in the past, security is always a major concern for their witnesses since they may up getting harassed once their identities are revealed even before they have taken the stand," he added.
He further criticized the prosecution for preventing the retired Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. from appearing before the Special Division. (DBP/Sunnex)
(January 13, 2006 issue)
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