Tuesday, July 10, 2007 Court to hand down verdict on Estrada case in August
THE most-awaited decision of the Sandiganbayan Special Division on former President Joseph Estrada's P4 billion plunder case will be known next month, the anti-graft court's spokesman said on Monday.
Lawyer Renato Bocar said the justices of the Special Division have already reached a consensus even before they started to draft the decision on the celebrated case.
The justices had more or less formed in their minds what would be their verdict after hearing the testimonies of all the witnesses and examining the documentary evidence submitted by the (prosecution and defense panels), Bocar said.
He said Presiding Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro and Associate Justices Francisco Villaruz Jr. and Diosdado Peralta are so eager to put an end to the six-year-old case that they plan to release the decision before September 15.
It is possible that the decision will be out in August, Bocar said.
Last week, the court vowed to decide on Estrada's case based strictly on its merits.
It also branded as purely speculative reports that it will render its verdict within the month.
Last June 15, the court heard the closing arguments of the parties in the first ever oral summation done in the Sandiganbayan's 29-year-old history.
Led by Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio, the prosecution panel said it had presented enough evidence to convict Estrada and his co-accused.
Estrada's lawyer Estelito Mendoza, on the other hand, maintained that his client was innocent and therefore the court had no choice but to acquit him of the charges.
Meanwhile, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita assured Monday that the authorities would not allow any demonstrations by Estrada supporters to disrupt traffic or the regular activities of the public when the Sandiganbayan hands down its verdict on the plunder case against Estrada.
Ermita said contingency plans are already in place, particularly in areas like Manila where possible protesters may hold their assembly.
He reiterated that Malacañang is not trying to influence or preempt the decision of the Sandiganbayan, stressing that it is a separate and independent body.
National Security Adviser and acting Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales over the weekend downplayed possible rallies by Estrada supporters saying previous protest actions had shown a waning of support or decrease in participants.
He said crowd control and other similar plans are already in place in case such demonstrations are held.
Estrada supporters initially convened at the Mendiola Bridge near Malacañang Sunday asking for the release of Estrada.
Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim initially opened Mendiola to rallyists but only if their demonstrations are held on weekends and holidays. (JMR/Sunnex)
