Jinggoy’s case to remain in Sandigan fifth division

MANILA, Philippines - Justices of the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division have decided to continue hearing the plunder and graft charges against Sen. Jinggoy Estrada despite their request for inhibition from the cases.

Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang told The STAR the cases of Estrada were never taken out from the Fifth Division comprised of Associate Justices Roland Jurado, Alexander Gesmundo and Ma. Theresa Gomez-Estoesta.

“Officially they have not actually unloaded that case,” she said.

Tang said the anti-graft court did not actually deny the request for inhibition of Jurado, Gesmundo and Estoesta.

“If you read that one-sentence letter, it was actually a request for recusal. So they have not actually inhibited. We treated that as a request for advice,” she said.

Tang said the 11 other Sandiganbayan justices unanimously advised Jurado, Gesmundo and Estoesta against inhibiting from the cases.

“After we discussed among ourselves this morning since I called for a special en banc meeting, we advised them not to pursue the request and just continue handling the case,” she said.

“And they acceded and heeded the advice. Neither the en banc nor the presiding justice has the authority to deny if they have really inhibited. But the tenor of letter was request.”

Tang denied that the three justices’ request for inhibition was due to the pressure of an investigation of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) or the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

“Actually, it was not discussed,” she said.

“But just to set things straight, definitely that is not the reason or reasons for their request for inhibition. It’s not about the release of the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) or the supposed investigation being conducted by AMLC.”

The three Fifth Division justices made the elaboration when asked during a full-court meeting about the “personal reasons” that they cited in their request for recusal, she said.

Tang said the AMLC executive director told her during a conversation that no investigation is being conducted on the three justices.