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PLUNDER
WATCH
Another
Sin of Omission
Ombudsman Should Actively Refute Erap's Plea for Medical
Treatment Abroad
By Dr. Carolina P. Araullo
Convenor, Plunder Watch
Press Statement
March 13, 2002
ONCE AGAIN,
the Plunder Watch Movement raises the alarm bells on what appears
to be the Ombudsman's less than vigorous efforts to thwart Estrada's
motion to travel abroad for medical treatment.
Highly reliable
sources from within the prosecution have informed us that prosecutors
from the Ombudsman's office do not plan to present their own expert
witnesses to refute the testimonies of Estrada's doctors that the
ousted president needs to go abroad for his knee surgery.
Several orthopedic
surgeons and experts in the field have offered to testify that Estrada's
knee surgery can be done locally but none of them have been tapped
by the Ombudsman.
The prosecution
seems to believe that since the defense has weak arguments, then
it need not actively oppose Estrada's motion. But it is the height
of folly for any lawyer to bank on his opponents weaknesses to win
his case. If the prosecution is not vigorous in demolishing the
defense's arguments, the Sandiganbayan can and will most likely
rule in Estrada's favor.
But more than
folly on the Ombudsman's part, this seems to be yet another of his
many sins of omission on the Erap cases. This is not the first time
that this has happened. The Office of the Ombudsman has this strange
habit of filing defective motions and engaging in tactics that tend
to undermine the case against Estrada.
We hope that
this is not part of a modus vivendi that Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
and her allies are forging with the Estrada camp in order to rid
themselves of the problems caused by the accused latest antics.
On March 15,
members of Plunder Watch will attend the hearing at the Sandiganbayan
to press their demand that the Sandiganbayan rule against Estrada's
motion and that the Prosecution do its job.
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