Sen. Jinggoy Estrada has asked the Sandiganbayan to first act on his pending motions before issuing any warrant of arrest in the plunder case filed against him.
In a statement, Estrada said his legal team has already submitted several pleadings seeking to challenge the proceedings and protect his right to due process.
“In anticipation of the possible issuance of an arrest warrant in the plunder case filed against me, I respectfully urge the Court to first give due consideration to the motions I have already filed and to uphold the principles of due process,” Estrada said.
He said his lawyers earlier filed motions seeking the consolidation of the cases and the deferment of any arrest warrant shortly after he posted bail in the graft case against him last Friday.
Estrada said his camp also filed an Urgent Omnibus Motion Ad Cautelam, asking the court to quash the information, dismiss the case with prejudice, or suspend the proceedings and remand the case for further investigation or completion of the preliminary investigation.
“These are no mere technicalities. I firmly believe that I am entitled to avail myself of the remedies available under the law, including the filing of a motion for reconsideration, especially considering that I received a copy of the Ombudsman Resolution on the plunder case only on Friday evening,” he said.
“It is only fair and just that I be afforded the opportunity to fully exercise these legal remedies before any coercive measures are taken against me,” he added.
Estrada maintained that his move should not be seen as an attempt to evade accountability, but as an assertion of his right to due process.
“Buo ang aking loob na harapin ang kasong ito at patunayan na walang katotohanan ang mga ibinibintang sa akin,” he said.
“I will squarely face the charges to prove that the allegations against me are baseless,” he added.