Erap wants holidays with family

Deposed President Joseph Estrada requested the Sandiganbayan yesterday to allow him to spend the holidays with his family from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2.

In an urgent motion filed by his lawyer, former senator Rene Saguisag, Estrada said the 10-day furlough "would help save and spare the authorities from the hassle of two visits on Christmas and New Year."

Saguisag emphasized that the late former senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. was given a similar break during the martial law years.

Saguisag, in his motion, also informed the court that Dec. 26 is the birthday of Estrada’s son, San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor (JV) Ejercito.

As such, Saguisag asked the court if Estrada would at least be allowed to leave detention from Dec. 24 to Dec. 27 and then again on Dec. 31 to Jan. 2.

Last year, the Sandiganbayan special division hearing Estrada’s corruption trial granted Estrada permission to spend Christmas and New Year’s Day at his mother’s house in San Juan.