Supreme Court asked to disbar Mendoza, 2 others

Three impeachment complainants asked the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday to disbar former Solicitor General and Estrada defense lawyer Estelito Mendoza and two other lawyers for allegedly attempting to cover up the identity of the true owner of the controversial P1.2-billion Jose Velarde account.

In a verified complaint, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary general Teodoro Casino, KAIROS convenor Fr. Joel Dizon and Kilusang Mayo Uno chairman Crispin Beltran accused Mendoza, former Court of Appeals Justice Manuel Lazaro and lawyer Fernando Chua of "colluding and confederating with one another to commit an obstruction of justice in the impeachment case against President Estrada."

The charges stemmed from the testimony of Equitable-PCI Bank official Clarissa Ocampo that an attempt to transfer the ownership of the Velarde account to businessman Jaime Dichaves, a close friend of the President, had taken place in Mendoza’s office.

Lazaro, counsel for Dichaves, is accused of misrepresenting his client as the true owner of the Velarde account, while Chua is a high school classmate of the President.

According to witness Ocampo, then Equitable PCI Bank president George Go himself was present when the coverup was attempted at Mendoza’s law office in Makati City last Dec. 13. – With Sandy Araneta, Aurea Calica