Sandigan denies Jinggoy furlough pleas

The Sandiganbayan has denied two separate motions filed by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada to leave his jail cell – one to attend his mother’s 86th birthday celebration and the other to take part in the Senate’s final session days.

In a three-page resolution released yesterday, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division led by Associate Justice Rafael Lagos denied for lack of merit Estrada’s request to allow him to attend the birthday celebration of his mother, former senator Loi Ejercito, tonight.

The resolution stated that while the justices are not “insensitive to the significance entailed in celebrating family values” Estrada “is still on trial. He is like all other detention prisoners, subjected to restriction in locomotion or actual physical movement.”

Estrada is being tried for plunder in connection with the pork barrel scam. He and co- accused Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. are being held at the Philippine National Police custodial center in Camp Crame.

The anti-graft court said it would make a “mockery of the justice system” if Estrada is “allowed at his whim, or that of his family, to attend his mother’s birthday celebration that can nonetheless be held or celebrated within his proximity.”

As to Estrada’s motion to allow him to go to the Senate from June 6 to June 8 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to oversee the removal of all his business and personal effects, the Sandiganbayan said the senator need not personally attend to the turnover of equipment, documents and other belongings.

“His Senate staff members can properly take care of all of these tasks without his presence. All that needs to be done is for accused Estrada to inform his staff what personal properties and documents should be segregated and turned over to the Senate property custodian,” the anti-graft court said.

“Any document to be turned over and needs to be signed by accused Estrada can be signed by him, even outside the premises of the Senate,” it added.