Erap seeks 3-day hospital visit

A lawyer of former President Joseph Estrada yesterday filed a motion before the Sandiganbayan Special Division to allow the deposed leader to visit his ailing mother at the San Juan Medical Center in San Juan City for three consecutive days and to attend the oral argument of his Motion for Reconsideration on Friday.

Lawyer Jose Flaminiano said last Friday that he conferred with Estrada at the San Juan Medical Center on the forthcoming hearing of the case.

He said lawyers briefed the former president on the prospects of securing a reversal of the guilty verdict rendered by the Sandiganbayan Special Division last Sept. 12, 2007.

“We gave him a summary of the arguments the defense lawyers will stress at the Oct. 19 hearing,” said Flaminiano.

After the conference, Estrada requested the lawyers to inform the Sandiganbayan that he will seek the court’s permission to attend the oral argument on Oct. 19, scheduled at 9 a.m.

Estrada also requested the lawyers to appeal to the court’s sense of compassion and liberality to allow him to visit his mother, Mary Ejercito, at the hospital on Wednesday, Oct. 17, up to Friday afternoon.

“We have been constrained to make this request because of the existence of special circumstances. Doña Mary’s condition remains critical and prognosis is obviously guarded. She is 102 years old and susceptible to all kinds of infection. Pneumonia, according to her attending physician, poses the greatest threat to her life,” said Flaminiano.

Flaminiano said that Estrada, a favorite son, yearns to be constantly at the bedside of his mother in the final days of her life.