Squabbling justices delay Estrada plunder trial

The absence of former President Joseph Estrada from his plunder trial did not diminish the drama of the proceedings, with a rare display of the justices’ flaring tempers providing an interesting sideshow.

The disagreement among the magistrates of the anti-graft court stemmed from an objection raised by Estrada’s lawyer, former Supreme Court Justice Serafin Cuevas, on a question from the prosecution to a witness.

Cuevas had objected to a supposedly "leading" question asked by Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño to former Government Service Insurance Service president and general manager Federico Pascual.

Zuño asked Pascual why it took nearly a month to buy shares of Belle Resources Corp "as per Estrada’s instruction."

After both the prosecution and the defense "vigorously" presented arguments on the point, Third Division chairman Justice Anacleto Badoy sustained Cuevas’ objection that the question was leading.

But Justice Teresita De Castro apparently disagreed and loudly discussed the matter with the other magistrate of the division, Justice Ricardo Ilarde.

"The question is not leading and there is a basis for the question," De Castro told the court as the prosecution tried to persuade Badoy to change his ruling.

However, Badoy, apparently already irritated by the lawyers’ custom of all objecting at the same time, turned on his fellow magistrates and admonished them to tell him if they wanted to say something. "If you want to say something, please consult me first instead of just shouting and making noises. If all of us make noise at the same time, walang mangyayari (nothing will happen)," an irritated Badoy said.

Obviously offended at Badoy’s outburst, De Castro stiffened and frowned while Ilarde fiddled with his yellow pencil.

Apparently sensing his colleagues’ displeasure, Badoy cited the Sandiganbayan dictum that "in the court, the chairman rules" but quickly banged his gavel and suspended the proceeding to confer with De Castro and Ilarde.

Once the magistrates retreated to their chamber, the court audience heaved a sigh of relief and noted that Badoy had become stricter after his rift with Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Francis Garchitorena.