Erap wants to witness oral arguments on plunder motion
Former President Joseph Estrada plans to show up at the Sandiganbayan on Oct. 19 to witness the oral arguments on his motion for reconsideration of his conviction for plunder.
No more appeals before the Sandiganbayan are expected after the oral arguments and the motion would be deemed submitted for resolution by the anti-graft court’s special division.
Estrada’s Oct.19 court appearance, if it pushes through, would be his first after his conviction on Sept. 12 and might be his last if Presiding Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro and Associate Justices Francisco Villaruz Jr. and Diosdado Peralta reject his motion for reconsideration. Estrada was acquitted of the lesser crime of perjury for misdeclaring his assets.
In the event of a rejection, the only recourse for Estrada is to file an appeal with the Supreme Court.
Estrada was sentenced to a maximum 40 years in jail. The anti-graft court also ordered the forfeiture of more than P800 million assets, including the controversial
Lawyer J. Alberto Flaminiano, son and namesake of Estrada’s top lawyer, has also asked the court to allow the former president to visit his ailing mother Mary Ejercito at the
De Castro, who has never turned down requests by Estrada to see his 102-year-old mother, directed Flaminiano to file a separate motion for the request.
Estrada has the Sandiganbayan’s permission to visit his mother tomorrow. He last visited her on Sept. 29. – Sandy Araneta
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