Defense lawyer bewails Estrada’s non-cooperation

A court-appointed counsel of former President Joseph Estrada bewailed yesterday the defense panel’s limited access to documents that could help them defend him in four criminal cases, including plunder, in the Sandiganbayan, because he refuses to cooperate with them.

Lawyer Prospero Crescini added that their panel does not know yet the 80 witnesses they would present to defend Estrada.

"This makes our job difficult. (Estrada) is not really cooperating. We don’t even know who these 80 or more witnesses would be," he said.

But Crescini is still hopeful that Estrada and his nine former private lawyers would finally work with them when the prosecution rests its case.

The prosecution panel has five remaining witnesses to present in the four criminal cases — one for plunder, two for perjury and the last, for the illegal use of an alias.

"Since we will be presenting evidence, we have to talk to the witnesses. Unless they (Estrada’s former private lawyers) come back…I hope they will...," Crescini said.

Nevertheless, he said the defense panel would subpoena the controversial "second envelope" containing bank documents of Jose Velarde and the letter of Jaime Dichaves where he claims to be Jose Velarde.

Prosecutors have charged Estrada with using the alias Jose Velarde in questionable accounts with the Equitable PCI Bank.