In a text message on Friday, lawyer Alexis Abastillas, Estrada’s legal spokesman, confirmed that the Ombudsman denied their request to be “furnished a copy of the affidavits of new witnesses, whose testimonies were used” in the resolution recommending plunder charges against the senator.
“We have received it. It’s a real denial of due process,” Abastillas accused.
He added that their camp has already appealed this decision, through the motion of reconsideration they filed last April 7.
Last month, Estrada’s lawyers asked the Ombudsman for copies of sworn affidavits of government witnesses Ruby Tuason and Dennis Cunanan.
On April 1, the Office of the Ombudsman announced that it has decided to charge Senators Estrada, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile with plunder for allegedly pocketing millions in their pork barrel funds through a scam supposedly engineered by detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.
Both Estrada and Revilla have already filed their respective motion seeking the dismissal of the plunder charges against them, claiming the accusations have no basis.
On the other hand, Enrile had not given any statements to the media since the release of the Ombudsman’s recommendation. –– KBK, GMA News
