Pre-trial of Jinggoy's PDAF cases deferred anew

MANILA, Philippines — The trial proper of the plunder and graft cases against former Sen. Jinggoy Estrada in connection with his alleged involvement the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam is not set to commence anytime soon.

This, after the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division Monday reset the pre-trial of the cases to March 6 due to the defense's unfinished marking of documentary evidence and other technical issues.

The pre-trial proceeding paves way for the start of the trial proper of the case.

It is during the pre-trial that both parties are supposed to submit to the court their final list of witnesses and evidence they intend to present during the trial proper.

In the supposed pre-trial of the cases Monday, Estrada's legal team said it is not yet done with the marking of its documentary exhibits as the prosecution gave them “very little time.”

Estrada's lawyers argued that it took state prosecutors more than two years to finish marking their exhibits when they were aware that the defense cannot proceed to mark its own exhibits until the prosecution is done.

Estrada's lawyers pointed out that they had to wait for the prosecution to finish with the marking of its exhibits in order for their camp to prepare the best counter-evidence.

“The prosecution keeps on delaying and delaying and that is evident during my bail hearings. Wala nang ginawa ang prosecution kundi mag-delay nang mag-delay, kami namang mga nakakulong ang kawawa rito. (All that the prosecution has done was to delay the proceedings. We, the detainees, are the ones suffering here),” Estrada told reporters after the canceled proceeding.

During the hearing, Estrada's camp also sought the court's permission to present additional documentary evidence that would “supplement” the testimonies of their witnesses.

The prosecution objected to the defense's motion, saying that under the rules, no party shall present evidence other than those marked and agreed upon during the preliminary conferences.

Because of this, the court said it has to review the minutes of the preliminary conferences and deliberate if there is a “good cause” to allow the request of the defense.

The court also set additional preliminary conference date on February 14 to allow the defense to finish marking its exhibits.

The pre-trial of Estrada's plunder and 11 counts of graft has been deferred for several times now, due to the unfinished marking of evidence.

Estrada is accused receiving P183-million worth of kickbacks by misallocating his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel from 2004 to 2012 to fake foundations linked to the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

He has been detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon since in June 2014.

Early this month, the supposed first day of the trial of former Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. was also deferred after the clerk of the court of the First Division noted some errors in the prosecution's markings of its documentary evidence.

Revilla is also facing plunder and graft cases before the Sandiganbayan over the pork barrel scam.