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Erap lawyers to take 'slow route,' will file appeal with Sandigan


Former President Joseph Estrada's lawyers on Thursday said that they would be filing a motion for reconsideration with the Sandiganbayan, in their bid to overturn the verdict declaring Estrada guilty of plunder. The lawyers said they are taking inspiration from the case of former First Lady Imelda Marcos who was convicted by the antigraft court but was later cleared by the high court. "Si former First Lady Imelda Marcos di ba hinatulan sa Sandiganbayan pero inabswelto sa Korte Suprema (Former First Lady Imelda Marcos was convicted before the Sandiganbayan but was absolved when she took the case to the Supreme Court)," lawyer Jose Flaminiano said in an interview on dzBB radio. Former senator Rene Saguisag said Estrada's lawyers will take the "slow route" and file first a motion for reconsideration before the graft court. He said that while many may consider the move a "waste of time," they are hoping the graft court may have "overlooked" some arguments. "You always try to make use of every available defense or move under the laws of the land ... Many say it's a waste of time but from time to time nakakatsamba (You have to make use of every available defense or move under the laws of the land. Many say a motion for reconsideration is a waste of time, but from time to time we can get lucky)," Saguisag said in an interview on dzRH radio. On the other hand, special government prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio said they want the case to reach the Supreme Court, if only to "enrich" Philippine jurisprudence. In a separate interview on dzBB, Villa-Ignacio said very few cases of plunder have been decided in the high court. "Gusto naming umabot sa Korte Suprema para ma-enhance ang jurisprudence. Iilang kaso pa lang ang nata-try at nadedesisyunan. Kung may kaso sa lower courts may pang-guide sa kanila (We want the case to reach the high court to enhance our jurisprudence. There are only few cases that have been tried and decided. If this reaches the high court, we will have a guide for future cases)," he said. For his part, Sandiganbayan spokesman Renato Bocar downplayed reports and speculations that the special court was designed to convict Estrada from Day One. Bocar said the special court was created after Estrada's lawyers questioned the "uncertainty" of the composition of the graft court's third division, which originally handled the plunder case. Supporters of Estrada reportedly claimed that history showed past special courts had been created specially to convict their subjects. "Walang pakialam ang Sandiganbayan sa naunang special courts (The Sandiganbayan has nothing to do with past special courts)," he said on dzBB radio. - GMANews.TV

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