Erap begins court defense July 12

The Sandiganbayan ordered the lawyers of detained President Joseph Estrada yesterday to begin presenting the evidence that would clear him of the plunder charges pending before the special division of the anti-graft court.

"The defense is directed to be ready with the presentation of their evidence on July 12 and 14 and every Mondays and Wednesdays thereafter," the justices of the special division wrote in their three-page resolution.

It has been more than a year since government prosecutors rested their case in April 2003, but defense lawyers have been holding up the case, even as their client languishes in detention, said Chief Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa Ignacio.

Defense lawyer Jose Flaminiano said they will present their evidence as soon as the Sandiganbayan disposes of all of their motions but didn’t rule out the possibility of filing even more motions.

"The court cannot prevent us from filing motions. Especially because this case involves the life and liberty of the former president," he told Justices Minita Chico-Nazario and Edilberto Sandoval in an earlier hearing.

Villa Ignacio sees this as proof that the defense panel has no documentary and testimonial proof to rebut the prosecution’s 76 witnesses and nearly a thousand documents, including bank records.

Estrada’s son, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, is out on P500,000 bail, along with their co-accused, lawyer Edward Serapio. The Sandiganbayan allowed the younger Estrada to post bail after it determined the evidence already presented against him was not strong.