ESTRADA REFUSES TO SIGN PRE-TRIAL ORDER WITHOUT EJECTED LAWYER: After
security guards bodily removed his lawyer former senator Rene Saguisag from
the Sandiganbayan, ousted President Joseph Estrada refused to sign
yesterday the pre-trial order he was being asked to acknowledge.
Estrada told Associate Justice Teresita de Castro in open court that he was
ready to face trial for plunder but that he cannot sign any document
without Saguisag.
De Castro ordered security guards to carry Saguisag out of the courtroom
for "disorderly conduct" after he butted in while former Supreme Court
Justice Serafin Cuevas, also an Estrada lawyer, was asking the justice why
the Sandiganbayan was compelling defense lawyers and the Estradas to sign
the pre-trial order.
While De Castro was telling Cuevas that the defense was "merely delaying
the case," Saguisag tried to join the argument but De Castro told him that
he has not yet been recognized.
But Saguisag tried to drive his point and this angered De Castro who
reached for the gavel, banged it and ordered the security guards to take
Saguisag out of the courtroom. Phil. Star, 09/14/2001
ANTI-GRAFT COURT ORDERS ESTRADA, SON BACK TO COURT: The Sandiganbayan on
Tuesday directed the police to bring ousted President Joseph Estrada and
his son, former San Juan Mayor Jose Estrada, to the anti-graft court
Thursday to sign the pre-trial order of their plunder case.
The anti-graft court issued the orders even as the Supreme Court gave
Estrada the chance to prove that the anti-plunder law itself was
unconstitutional.
The Estradas are expected at the Sandiganbayan hall at 2 p.m. Thursday.
The anti-graft court had previously denied Estrada's motion to delay the
trial by a month while the Supreme Court deliberated on his petition.
The Sandiganbayan also ordered Equitable PCI Bank on Tuesday to turn over
the money in nine Yolanda Ricaforte accounts. The Ombudsman also asked the
court to seize houses and other property belonging to Ricaforte and Charlie
"Atong" Ang."
The pre-trial order Estrada is to sign contains the anti-graft court's
directive to start the plunder trial on Oct. 1, with hearings to be held
thrice a week until January next year. But the Supreme Court decision set
oral arguments on Estrada's petition for Sept. 18.
Estrada had asked the court to nullify the government's case against him,
stressing that the provisions of the country's plunder law were vague and
violated his basic rights.
But Solicitor General Simeon Marcelo accused the Estradas of "confusing the
real issues in the guise of attempting to impress upon the honorable court
that the petition allegedly presents substantial constitutional issues."
If convicted, Estrada could theoretically face the death penalty, but
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ruled out any execution.
The pre-trial order will be issued over the objections of Estrada's defense
lawyers to the choice of the trial dates. Inquirer,
ESTRADA PLUNDER TRIAL STARTS OCTOBER 1: Starting Oct. 1, the Sandiganbayan
will conduct the plunder trial of former President Joseph Estrada and his
son Jinggoy, three times a week.
At the end of the pre-trial hearing, the anti-graft court's Third Division
ruled that the hearings would be conducted starting next month every
Monday, Wednesday and Friday, despite strong objections from Estrada's
lawyers who wanted the trial to start in November.
The trial in the plunder case was set even earlier than the perjury case
which was handled by the First Division chaired by Presiding Justice
Francis Garchitorena. The perjury trial was set on Oct. 29, 30 and 31.
Associate Justice Teresita Leonarda de Castro remained firm on the decision
to conduct the trials starting Oct. 1, even as defense lawyer Cleofe
Verzola questioned the court's ruling. Inquirer, 09/07/2001
SANDIGAN FREEZES P4.1-B ACCOUNTS LINKED TO ESTRADA: The Sandiganbayan froze
yesterday nine bank accounts with a total of P4.1 billion believed held by
jailed former President Joseph Estrada but deposited under the name of his
former personal accountant.
Covered by the freeze order were six savings accounts and three checking
accounts under the name of Yolanda Ricaforte, who fled to the United States
with her husband at the height of the military-backed popular uprising that
toppled the Estrada administration last January.
The anti-graft court issued the freeze order on the accounts, all with
Equitable-PCI Bank, during yesterday's resumption of pre-trial hearings on
graft charges against Estrada.
The prosecutors have charged that Estrada amassed some P4 billion in
ill-gotten wealth during his 31-month stay in power.
Prosecutors have also vowed to pin Estrada down on a perjury charge for
allegedly falsifying his statement of assets and liabilities for the year
1999 where he placed his net worth at only P35 million. Phil. Star,
09/04/2001
ESTRADA, SON RETURN TO COURT FOR PRE-TRIAL: Accused of plunder, former
President Joseph Estrada, son Jinggoy and lawyer Edward Serapio return
Monday to the Sandiganbayan for the start of the four-day pre-trial of
their case.
The anti-graft court has ordered Philippine National Police chief Director
General Leandro Mendoza to promptly produce the three in court at 2 p.m.
for the first of the pre-trial hearings, which are scheduled to be
completed Thursday.
Estrada lawyer Rene Saguisag said that the Estradas and Serapio had no
choice but to attend the hearing this afternoon. He added, however, that
the defense would pursue a request for the court to allow the accused to
skip future pre-trial and trial hearings where their testimony is not
needed.
Another defense lawyer, Cleofe Verzola, said her team might push for the
postponement of the proceedings because of Associate Justice Anacleto Badoy
Jr.'s failure so far to resolve a motion asking him to reconsider his
earlier refusal to inhibit himself from the case.
During a pre-trial, the prosecution and defense teams agree on markings of
evidence and on certain stipulations, such as common definitions of terms
to be used in the actual trial. For instance, the defense team plans to
stipulate on Monday that the three men charged in the plunder case are the
same three who will appear in court Monday afternoon. Inquirer, 09/03/2001
