Estrada urges Sandigan to resolve house arrest petition

Jailed former President Joseph Estrada has asked the Sandiganbayan to immediately resolve his request for house arrest to enable him to effectively confer with his lawyers for the pre-trial of a perjury case against him.

Estrada asserted that since he has been arraigned by the anti-graft court’s first division headed by Presiding Justice Francis Garchitorena, the prosecution and the court have no reason to fear that he would flee the country.

"The pre-trial in the perjury case comes up in a few days. There is no time to lose. This is without prejudice to revisiting the issue of house arrest. They (Estrada and son former San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada) have been in jail going into the fourth month," Estrada’s lawyer former Sen. Rene Saguisag said.

He indicated that support for the proposal to place father and son under house arrest has been snowballing.

Among those who allegedly favor the proposal are the Catholic Church, the Iglesia ni Cristo, President Arroyo, Sen. Edgardo Angara, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Sen. Joker Arroyo, former Speaker now Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and housing czar Michael Defensor

"House arrest is in the highest national interest. The situation calls for the highest judicial statesmanship as we look for the spirit that giveth life, not the letter that killeth. An emerging tenth of the law of nations may be consistent with what we seek," Saguisag said.

He added that while no law may have specifically provided for house arrest, the courts have certain inherent powers to grant it to accused persons like Estrada who was overwhelmingly voted into the presidency in 1998.

Estrada, who was unseated on Jan. 20 at the height of a military-backed popular uprising, is facing a host of corruption charges including the capital offense of plunder which is non-bailable and carries the maximum penalty of death.

Father and son have been confined since May 12 at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City. – Jose Rodel Clapano