The Sandiganbayan’s denial of Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada’s motion to attend the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio could spare the Impeachment Court from acting on a pending motion that may imply interference with an ongoing judicial process, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Friday.
Lacson noted that Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano had asked the Impeachment Court to communicate with the Sandiganbayan to allow Sens. Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta to attend the trial, even as both face plunder and graft charges before the anti-graft court.
“That would spare the Impeachment Court from acting on the pending motion of Senator-Judge Alan Cayetano for us to ‘ask the Sandiganbayan to allow Senators Estrada (and Marcoleta) to participate in the impeachment trial’, which may impliedly suggest that we are interfering with an ongoing judicial process,” he said.
“I believe we still have to discuss the matter among ourselves as it is just my humble opinion,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson: Pagbasura ng Sandiganbayan sa Mosyon ni Jinggoy, Maaaring Makaiwas sa Impeachment Court sa Posibleng Panghihimasok sa Prosesong Panghukuman
Earlier Friday, the Sandiganbayan’s fifth division reportedly denied Estrada’s motion for “lack of merit.” In the motion, Estrada’s camp pointed out that his participation in the trial as a senator-judge constitutes a “compelling reason” that justifies a temporary leave from detention.
Last Monday, Cayetano asked the Impeachment Court to “communicate” with the Sandiganbayan to allow Estrada and Marcoleta – both of whom face plunder and multiple cases of graft – to attend the impeachment trial.
This came after presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero affirmed that 16 votes are required for a conviction in the trial.
Estrada is detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas. Marcoleta was arrested last Monday but remains confined at the Philippine National Police General Hospital pending his transfer to a regular jail.
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Lacson: Pagbasura ng Sandiganbayan sa Mosyon ni Jinggoy, Maaaring Makaiwas sa Impeachment Court sa Posibleng Panghihimasok sa Prosesong Panghukuman
Ang pagbasura ng Sandiganbayan sa mosyon ni Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada na dumalo sa impeachment trial ni Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio ay maaaring makaiwas sa Impeachment Court sa posibleng panghihimasok sa isang prosesong panghukuman, ani Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Biyernes.
Binanggit ni Lacson ang hiling ni Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano sa Impeachment Court na makipag-ugnayan sa Sandiganbayan upang payagan sina Estrada at Rodante Marcoleta na dumalo sa paglilitis, kahit kapwa silang nahaharap sa kasong plunder at graft sa anti-graft court.
“That would spare the Impeachment Court from acting on the pending motion of Senator-Judge Alan Cayetano for us to ‘ask the Sandiganbayan to allow Senators Estrada (and Marcoleta) to participate in the impeachment trial’, which may impliedly suggest that we are interfering with an ongoing judicial process,” aniya.
“I believe we still have to discuss the matter among ourselves as it is just my humble opinion,” dagdag niya.
Nitong Biyernes, iniulat na ibinasura ng Fifth Division ng Sandiganbayan ang mosyon ni Estrada dahil sa “lack of merit.” Sa mosyon, iginiit ng kampo ni Estrada na ang kanyang paglahok sa paglilitis bilang senator-judge ay isang “compelling reason” na nagbibigay-katwiran sa pansamantala niyang pagliban sa kanyang pagkakapiit.
Hiniling ni Cayetano sa Impeachment Court noong Lunes na “makipagugnayan” sa Sandiganbayan upang payagan sina Estrada at Marcoleta, na kapwa nahaharap sa kasong plunder at maraming kaso ng graft, na dumalo sa impeachment trial.
Nangyari ito matapos pagtibayin ng presiding officer na si Sen. Francis Escudero na 16 na boto ang kailangan upang mahatulan ang akusado sa paglilitis.
Si Estrada ay nakakulong sa New Quezon City Jail sa Payatas. Si Marcoleta naman ay inaresto noong nakaraang Lunes ngunit nananatiling nasa Philippine National Police General Hospital habang hinihintay ang kanyang paglipat sa isang regular na piitan.
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