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Philippine Supreme Court Asked to Junk Estrada's Plea for Immunity
Philippine anti-graft organizations released a joint statement Monday, asking the Supreme Court to junk ousted president Joseph Estrada's plea for immunity.
In a television interview, Ombudsman Aniano Desierto said the Department of Justice, the Office of the Solicitor General and the Office of the Ombudsman have submitted their joint comments to the Supreme Court Monday, local news channel ABS-CBN reported Tuesday.
Desierto said that government lawyers insisted that Estrada had already resigned because of permanent disability.
The former president has earlier filed a motion before the Supreme Court claiming presidential immunity against suit, notably to stop the Ombudsman from continuing with its economic plunder case against Estrada and his associates.
Private prosecutors and the Department of Justice have filed seven charges of economic plunder against Estrada before the Ombudsman, including graft, malversation, bribery and perjury.
Estrada, who was replaced by the then Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in a military-backed popular uprising on January 20, is also questioning the legitimacy of the Arroyo administration before the Supreme Court.
Desierto said that the investigating panel headed by Deputy Ombudsman Margarito Gervacio is now preparing the case resolution, which will pave the way for Estrada's indictment before the anti- graft court.
Estrada's lawyers failed to meet the deadline of Monday set by the Ombudsman for the submission of his counter-affidavit to the charges.
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