DOJ opposes award rites for Estrada

The awarding ceremony that will be held next week in honor of former President Joseph Estrada might turn out to be a political activity or rally complete with photo opportunities to endorse candidates of the Genuine Opposition (GO), government lawyers said yesterday.

During a hearing before the Sandiganbayan, Chief Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa Ignacio said he "seriously opposed" allowing Estrada to attend the ceremony on March 27 and that a "proxy" be sent instead to receive the award.

Estrada’s son, San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito, sent his father a letter dated March 20 saying that the former President will be recognized as an "Outstanding Citizen of San Juan in the field of Leadership."

"We said it is a security risk. And given the high passion in the forthcoming local elections, we will never know what will transpire there. And there is no assurance that it will not turn into a political rally since the person inviting the former President is the campaign manager of the Genuine Opposition," Villa Ignacio said.

He noted that every time Estrada is allowed to go out of his detention, "he engages in photo ops, and sometimes it turns out into a political rally. Candidates who visit Estrada take advantage of the situation. We are very sure that it will turn out to be a political activity."

Villa-Ignacio said even if Estrada violates electoral rules, he could always say it was not he who conducted a political activity but the other people with him.

Defense lawyer Alberto Flaminiano said Estrada has promised that there will be no political activity.

Sandiganbayan Special Division Presiding Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro ordered Flaminiano to give the Sandiganbayan a copy of the program for the awarding ceremony and to follow it strictly with no political activity.