Court allows Jinggoy to attend son’s graduation

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has allowed detained Senator Jose ‘Jinggoy’ Ejercito Estrada to attend the high school graduation rites of his son today.

“We are doing this not because of Senator Estrada. We are doing this because of his son,” declared Fifth Division Chairman Roland Jurado before an open court yesterday.

With this, the graft court gave the order to allow the Senator to attend the graduation of his son, Julian Emilio Ejercito, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the OB Montessori school in Greenhills, San Juan City.

Jurado pointed out that the members of the graft court have considered the effects to the child should Estrada not be present to attend the graduation ceremony.

“If Senator Estrada will not be around, there will be trauma to the child,” said Jurado.

In granting Estrada’s request, Jurado also directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) in providing “maximum security” in escorting the lawmaker to the school and back to his detention at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame.

Meanwhile, Estada expressed his gratitude to the graft court in having allowed him to be with his son in one of the most important days of his life.

“I thank the magistrates of the Fifth Division in granting me to attend my son’s graduation rites,” Estrada said before reporters yesterday.

Though he originally asked to be allowed at the graduation from 1 to 7 p.m., Estrada lamented that he will not be able to join his son’s graduation celebration because of the shortened time the court granted him.