The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division denied detained Senator Jose “Jinggoy” P. Ejercito Estrada’s request to attend the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, ruling that his participation as a senator-judge was incompatible with his status as a detention prisoner and did not constitute a compelling ground for temporary leave from detention, as reported by BusinessWorld.
In a seven-page resolution, the anti-graft court emphasized that Estrada’s detention arose from his plunder conviction, and that allowing him to attend the impeachment proceedings would set a precedent undermining the integrity of his detention. The court noted that other senators could fulfill their duties without similar requests, as Estrada’s role in the trial did not require his physical presence beyond what was already permitted for detained individuals.
The decision marks the latest legal hurdle for Estrada, who has been detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center since his conviction. His camp argued that as a senator, he had a constitutional duty to participate in the impeachment trial, but the Sandiganbayan ruled that the privilege of attending such proceedings did not outweigh the strict conditions of his detention.