HIGH COURT HIT FOR BANNING LIVE COVERAGE OF ESTRADA TRIAL
INQ7.net, June 30, 2001
Justice Secretary Hernando Perez on Saturday said his department would ask
the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision banning live media coverage from
the trial of former President Joseph Estrada, according to a radio report.
Another motion for reconsideration will also be filed by the Kapisanan ng mga
Brodkasters sa Pilipinas (KBP), according to president Ruperto Nicdao in
another radio report. Perez, one of the proponents of a public trial for
Estrada, said the DOJ will "look for new strategy to convince the Supreme
Court" to reverse its decision.
The lawyers’ group E-Just (Equal Justice for All), meanwhile, decried the
Supreme Court decision for "depriving the people’s right to know what goes
on in the trial." Convenor Leonard de Vera said E-just was "saddened by the
decision."
But Plunder Watch, a non-government organization monitoring the Estrada trial
said the Supreme Court decision showed the court’s bias for the accused.
Convenor Carolina Pagaduan said the decision has "curtailed" the people’s
right to know.
Voting 8-6, the Supreme Court on Friday junked a KBP petition to allow a live
media coverage of the trial for plunder and perjury of deposed president
Estrada.
Late last year, the court allowed the media live coverage on the impeachment
of Estrada at the Senate.
ESTRADA ELATED AT TRIAL LIVE COVERAGE BAN, GOV'T. MAY APPEAL
INQ7.net, June 30, 2001
The camp of deposed president Joseph Estrada expressed elation Saturday at a
Philippine court's ban on live coverage of his forthcoming corruption trial
but the government said it may appeal the ruling.
Estrada's son and co-accused, former mayor Jose "Jinggoy" Ejercito, said the
court decision on Friday barring live television and radio coverage of the
trial would prevent any "grandstanding" by prosecutors.
"We are happy with the decision. It finally gives us a chance to have at least
a fair trial. The lawyers will simply concentrate on the case," he said.
However Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said that the decision should be
overturned because it stripped the public of the right to watch the trial.
"It is the right of the people to see whether ex-president Estrada is guilty
or not. If we will only rely on reports of commentators, chances are they
will be reporting a portion of their own perception only," he said in a radio
interview.
Perez said he would study the possibility of filing a motion for the
reconsideration of the court decision. The Supreme Court ruled by eight votes
to six in favor of the ban, shrugging off petitions by the justice department
and a broadcast industry group seeking live television and radio coverage of
the trial.
The court said it took into account the possibility that the witnesses could
be swayed by the coverage or play to the television cameras. Earlier this
month a special anti-graft court reset the scheduled arraignment of Estrada
and his son on the charge of plunder to July 10. The charge is theoretically
punishable by death.
Estrada, who was toppled in January by a popular uprising after only 30 months
in office, was indicted in April of plundering a personal fortune of 80
million dollars through bribes from illegal gambling bosses and skimming off
from government funds.
Outrage against the then-president was fuelled partly by live television and
radio coverage of his corruption trial in Senate in December to January where
vivid testimonies and dramatic debates convinced many of Estrada's guilt
even before the trial was over.
On Wednesday, Estrada was arraigned on perjury charges related to the
corruption case in a landmark court appearance by the former president.
