Court agrees to hear Jinggoy's bail petition

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan has granted the request of the lawyers of Senator Jinggoy Estrada to hear their bail petition on the plunder case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, chaired by Associate Justice Roland Jurado, set the bail hearings on July 8, 15, 22 and 29.

During Friday's oral arguments, Estrada's lawyers requested the tribunal to order the Office of the Special Prosecutors to furnish them with a list of witnesses who will testify during the bail hearings.

However, prosecutor Danilo Lopez said the government prosecution panel is still determining the availability off their witnesses.

He said they had just received the resolution of the Court regarding the Estrada's petition for bail and they do not have enough time to prepare the witnesses.

Lopez told the Court that the prosecution will be presenting on the first hearing date a field investigator of the Office of the Ombudsman as their witness.

The defense lawyers asked the Court to reveal the identities and the number of witnesses for them to determine the relevance of their testimonies, but the tribunal told Estrada's lawyers to hear first the testimony of the prosecution.

The prosecution panel assured the Court that it will not be an "instrument in delaying the proceedings."

Aside from the plunder case, Estrada is also facing 11 counts of graft before the same division of the Sandiganbayan.