Manila Downplays Extension of Ban on Prosecuting EstradaThe Philippine government said Tuesday that the Supreme Court's indefinite extension of the ban on the filing of criminal cases against former President Joseph Estrada is not a "disadvantage or setback" on the efforts of the Arroyo administration to prosecute the deposed president.In a press briefing Tuesday afternoon, Presidential Spokesman Renato Corona said decisions like this is normally given by the Supreme Court in important cases, especially when the members of the high tribunal would like to have a lot of time and a lot of opportunity to discuss the merits of the case. A resolution issued Tuesday by the Supreme Court said that because of the motion for reconsideration filed by the lawyers of Estrada on its March 2 decision, the Office of the Ombudsman is enjoined from resolving or deciding the criminal cases filed against the former president "until resolution of the above motion. " The high tribunal voted 13-0 on March 2 affirming the legitimacy of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's presidency installed on January 20 this year after the four-day People Power revolution. In its March 2 decision, the high court ruled that Estrada has effectively resigned, thus paving the way for the vice president to assume the presidency. "Maybe the Supreme Court would like to have more time for a really in-depth analysis of those statements and the grounds on which it based its decision," Corona said. While the government considered the Supreme Court order as a " little delay" in he resolution of the case, Corona said "we are not bothered by this because we feel this is just normal for an important case like this, which has far-reaching legal and historical implications." Corona, who is also the presidential chief of staff, reiterated the government's stand that the issue of the arrest of the former president was not within the ambit of the government's authority. "It is dependent on the constitutional and legal process in the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan (or anti-graft court), which alone has the legal mandate to issue a warrant of arrest," Corona said. Estrada, who was toppled in a military-backed popular uprising on January 20, reportedly faces 13 charges of corruption including several of economic plunder which is punishable of death. |
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