THE Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division has denied the motion of detained Sen. Jinggoy Estrada to attend the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte for lack of merit.
In a resolution promulgated on July 9 and written by Associate Justice Maryann Corpus-Mañalac, the court said Estrada’s request cannot be considered in the nature of an emergency or a compelling temporary leave.
It added that while an impeachment trial is of “paramount constitutional importance,” its significance does not provide a basis for his request, and that his attendance would constitute a “continuing and recurring leave” from detention.
The court said that with an estimated 31-week timeframe, allowing him to attend the trial “would virtually make him a free man with all the privileges appurtenant to his position.”“It would not only elevate his status to that of a special class but also make a mockery of the purposes of preventive detention. To grant such a request would substantially erode the very restraints that lawful detention necessarily entails,” the court said.
Division chairman Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses and Associate Justice Hans Chester Nocom concurred.
Estrada is facing plunder and graft charges over his alleged involvement in the flood control bribery scandal in Bulacan.
Meanwhile, the members of the House prosecution panel have rejected the claim of Duterte that government officials have been “consumed by politics,” stressing that the government continues to address the country’s economic and public service priorities amid the ongoing impeachment trial.
Duterte, in an interview in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, said that those in government calling for “transparency and accountability” merely want to advance their political interests.
She also urged them to focus on maintaining peace and order and promoting the country’s development.
In a press briefing on Friday, House Prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said the government continues to implement programs aimed at improving the lives of ordinary Filipinos, including initiatives to increase wages in various regions and ensure that economic growth benefits more households.
“It is not true that our government is consumed solely by politics. There are concrete efforts to address the country’s fundamental issues, and I believe the government remains focused on these matters,” Ridon added.
Fellow prosecutor and Manila Rep. Joel Chua added that some Filipinos are also waiting for Duterte to answer the issues raised against her, including who “Mary Grace Piattos” is, who received the confidential funds, and the P6.7 billion transactions cited in the records of the Anti-Money Laundering Council.
