Estrada defense lawyers to join JV’s motion

The court-appointed lawyers for ousted president Joseph Estrada would join San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito in blocking a move by state prosecutors to include his Urban Bank accounts as evidence in the plunder case against his father. "Our client would be adversely affected by the introduction of that evidence, which is clearly immaterial and irrelevant," said lawyer Prospero Crescini. "We are likewise filing a motion to quash the subpoena."

Crescini said the questioned evidence has been illegally obtained and is a violation of the bank secrecy law.

The special anti-graft court hearing the plunder case against the jailed former president has given the Estradas until today to explain why the evidence sought by the prosecution should not be admitted in court.

Ejercito showed up in court the other day to manifest his protest against a subpoena duces tecum issued by the court against the Urban Bank, where he allegedly opened special account 858.

He said he is being made a subject to "political harassment" even if he is not included in the plunder case filed against his father, who, he added, the prosecution cannot really nail down after having already presented in court around 60 witnesses.

He asked for 10 days to file a motion to quash, saying his personal lawyer is still in the States. He also refused the services of the court-appointed defense lawyers. The court however gave him until today. The prosecution has said they would show in court that Ejecito issued checks drawn against his account and deposited these with the P3.2 billion Jose Velarde account, the alleged repository of the fallen leaders ’ ill-gotten wealth. A subpoena issued by the court sought out a total of eight checks worth P 184 million supposedly drawn from the P329-million account.

The special division of the anti-graft court postponed scheduled hearings until Monday to give time to both parties to file their respective pleadings in court.

At Monday’s hearing, Senate legal counsel Jonathan David Yap, testified on how he took custody of the signature cards to the controversial Jose Velarde account after the Upper House convened an impeachment court against Estrada. – Romel Bagares