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Philippine President's Lawyers to Block Surprise Witnesses
The lawyers defending Philippine President Joseph Estrada in his impeachment trial are set to oppose further moves by the prosecution to present more surprise witnesses when the trial resumes next week.
Defense lawyer Siegfried Fortun said Wednesday over DZMM radio that the plan by the 11-man House prosecution panel to present more witnesses, aside from those agreed upon by both sides, are not applicable to the impeachment case.
"It looks like there are a lot of surprise witnesses being presented. Surprise because it is not really included in the articles of impeachment which was approved by the House of Representatives and second, it was not agreed upon in the preliminary conference," said Fortun.
Surprise prosecution witness Clarissa Ocampo, vice president of Equitable PCI Bank, testified before the Senate last week that she saw President Estrada sign a fake name, particularly "Jose Velarde " on bank documents on February 4 this year at the Presidential Palace.
The bank accounts containing the name Jose Velarde have been repeatedly tagged by various witnesses in the impeachment trial as that which the president used to launder funds.
The funds were allegedly taken from illegal gambling pay-offs, excising taxes and a reported commission from a bank merger.
On Tuesday, prosecutors said four more top bank officials, including another lady, will be presented to prove President Estrada is guilty of charges against him at the impeachment trial.
Fortun said when the trial resumes on January 2, the defense will move to strike out of the record the testimony of Ocampo.
He stressed that the impeachment case of the president should only revolve around the testimonies of star witness Ilocos Sur Governor Luis Singson.
It was Singson who came out with the expose in October that President Estrada was receiving bribe money from illegal numbers game jueteng all over the country, triggering the impeachment trial against the president before the Senate.
Estrada, who was accused of bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the constitution, has repeatedly denied the allegations, but says he will respect the outcome of the Senate trial.
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