Erap hires topnotch American lawyer

MANILA, Philippines – Former President Joseph Estrada has hired an American lawyer to defend him in the civil case filed by two daughters of slain publicist Salvador Dacer in the United States.

Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said he is confident the case against his father would not prosper.

“As we have said before, we have nothing to do with the death of Dacer and Corbito,” he said in Filipino. “We are not murderers.”

A lot of topnotch lawyers are offering their services to his father for free, Senator Estrada said.

Carina and Sabrina Dacer are asking for $10 million in principal compensatory damages and $40 million in punitive damages from Estrada.

The other respondents in the case are Sen. Panfilo Lacson, businessman Dante Tan, former Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. chief executive officer Reynaldo Tenorio, former police officers Michael Ray Aquino, Glenn Dumlao and Chief Inspector Vicente Arnado.

The Dacers are suing Estrada based on the Alien Tort Claims Act in the US Code and the Torture Victim Protection Act of 1991.

Lacson co-accused: Gov’t evidence cannot convict us

Four co-accused of Lacson in the Dacer-Corbito murders asked a Manila court yesterday to rule on the case against them based on the government’s evidence since these would not be enough to convict them.

In two separate motions, Police Officer 2 Thomas Sarmiento, Crisostomo Purificacion, Rommel Rollan and Ruperto Nemenio filed a demurer to evidence which they said is necessary to safeguard their rights as they have been imprisoned for several years now.

“Despite the admission of the foregoing evidence and the purposes for which they were respectively offered, accused, with all due respect, firmly believes that the prosecution does not possess enough evidence to prove the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt,” read the motions.

In a demurer to evidence, the accused asks the court to decide the case against him based on the prosecution evidence on grounds that the evidence is not enough to convict him.

Sarmiento said not one of the prosecution witnesses pointed to him either as a participant, co-conspirator, principal or instigator in the murders. – Christina Mendez, Sandy Araneta