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Sunday, July 08, 2007
Vidal tells Arroyo: Allow courts to do work, give public right decision
CEBU CITY -- Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal has confirmed meeting with the President but denied that they talked about the impending verdict on former president Joseph Estrada’s plunder trial.
He, however, admitted to advising President Arroyo to “allow the court to do its work and give us the right decision.”
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Vidal made the confirmation in an interview aired over two GMA news programs Friday night.
“We talked about something else. We had (talked about Estrada), but it wasn’t about what was stated on the white paper. She, as the President is the only one who should talk something about it,” said Vidal.
In the same interview, the prelate also gave his message to Estrada and to the public.
“I hope he (Estrada) would not fear…Whatever is the result of the court’s decision, I hope the people will not rise up,” he said.
Estrada’s case closed June 15. The court has three months to announce its decision.
Vidal’s confirmation came following insinuations that the President confided in him that the Sandiganbayan would hand down a guilty verdict.
The prelate has since denied this allegation.
Earlier reports stated that aside from being allegedly told about the verdict, Vidal visited Estrada last July 2 in Tanay, Rizal, where he is under house arrest.
Vidal and El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde were supposedly disturbed that the President already knew about the ruling when both the prosecution and defense rested their case just recently.
In Malacañang, Presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio said speculating and second-guessing the possible verdict on the plunder charges against Estrada “is dangerous and should end.”
Claudio said the administration had exercised every restraint it can in expressing any prediction or preference about the outcome of the case, but it could not simply keep quiet after being accused falsely of trying to influence the decision of the Sandiganbayan.
He said the speculations are unfair and may “unjustly affect the credibility of the Sandiganbayan's verdict, whichever way it goes.”
Claudio said in the interest of harmony and peace, the administration had distanced itself from the judicial process, merely awaits its decision and hopes that the verdict would be handed down with “legal thoroughness, independence, transparency and equity.”
Another palace official, Chief presidential legal counsel Sergio Antonio Apostol, said a guilty verdict would be a confirmation of the 2001 Edsa People Power II that forced Estrada out of office.
He reiterated that an acquittal would dismay the public.
But a lawyer of detained former President Joseph Estrada has admitted that the odds of an acquittal are stacked against the defense but he called on the Sandiganbayan to render a decision based on the merits of the plunder case.
Lawyer Estelito Mendoza said he still has full trust and confidence in the Sandiganbayan but his optimism is tempered with circumstances involving some of the members of the anti-graft court's special division.
Mendoza pointed out that all three members of the special division, namely, Presiding Justice Teresita de Castro and Associate Justices Francisco Villaruz and Diosdado Peralta, were appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Of the three, de Castro and Peralta are vying for the lone vacant seat in the Supreme Court (SC), which the President has to fill up by July 28.
The Estrada lawyer further said justice may only be attained when it appears to the public that the decision was reached fairly and justly.
The Sandiganbayan has until mid-September to render a decision on the Estrada case.
"What compounds the problem is that it’s a matter of record and it is well known that two of them have applied for appointment at the SC and I understand the Judicial and Bar Council has recommended them," he said.
"We are all human beings. It (appointments) should not (come into play), but people will never believe that it did not, and that is the problem. It will affect the appearance of justice. So I said it is a heavy burden because it is the burden of the court by their decision to demonstrate and show that that decision was rendered solely on the basis of facts and the law, nothing more, nothing less," he added.
Asked if the defense is preparing itself for a conviction, the Estrada counsel said they are preparing for such an eventuality.
"I will be very disappointed if he is not acquitted. I will be very anxious to see the decision on how they dealt with our defenses because many times, what courts do when you have a good argument is not to pass upon them and people will not know any better because nobody will see the issues raised in the decision," he said.
Meanwhile, National Security Adviser and acting Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales said government forces are prepared whether an acquittal or guilty verdict is handed out.
Gonzales said in case of an acquittal he foresees Estrada or his camp studying their possible actions, including legal ones, to be taken against those who filed the charges while a guilty verdict would mean his supporters would be annoyed and might take some actions against the administration.( JGA of Sun.Star Cebu/ECV/JMR/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (July 8, 2007 issue)
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