OFWs cheer, jeer verdict on Estrada plunder case

Members of a group of migrant workers expressed mixed reactions on the Sandiganbayan’s guilty verdict on the plunder case against deposed President Joseph Estrada on Wednesday.“Some of our members in Canada and the Middle East sent messages of cheers and jeers on the anti-graft court verdict," said Maria Fe Nicodemus, executive director of the Kapisanan ng mga Kamag-anak ng mga Migranteng Manggagawang Pilipino, Inc. (Kakammpi).

“Some of our members in Canada were happy about the guilty verdict as Canadians congratulated Filipinos because of the ‘strong’ justice system in the Philippines that has dragged a former president to jail," Nicodemus said.The Sandiganbayan found Estrada guilty of plunder and sentenced him to reclusion perpetua (life imprisonment), or a jail term of 20 years and one day to 40 years.

He was particularly convicted of the crime of receiving P545-million protection money from jueteng collectors and P189.7 million commission for the purchase of P1.8 billion worth of shares of Belle Corp. by the Social Security System (SSS) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) during his presidency.The allegations that he pocketed part of the P130 million diverted funds intended for Ilocos Sur province from the tobacco excise tax and the accumulation of P3.23 billion deposits under the Jose Velarde account in Equitable PCIBank were dismissed for insufficiency of evidence.

The former president's, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, and his lawyer, Edward Serapio, were found 'not guilty" as co-accused in the plunder case.Estrada was found "not guilty" in a separate case of perjury where he allegedly falsified his 1999 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth, claiming he was worth only P37 million, including P35 million cash on hand and in bank and business interests in three companies.Florentino Caballero, a skilled worker in Canada said in his text message that “the verdict against Erap has brought honor to expatriates in Canada. Canadians praise Filipinos because of our fair justice system." However, some of Kakammpi’s members in Saudi Arabia were not happy about the verdict, Nicodemus said. She quoted a text message from Saudi as saying, “Kawawa naman si Erap. Ang daming magnanakaw sa gobyerno hindi naman nahatulan ng ganyan. Wala talagang maaasahan sa sistema ng hustisya sa Pilipinas."

“The guilty verdict would not make any difference, knowing the justice system in the Philippines. Soon, the lawyers of the deposed president will appeal the case and before we know it, court processes have already run for a decade," Nicodemus quoted another text message from Saudi.The Sandiganbayan convicted Estrada of plunder and sentenced him 40 years in jail.

The court however acquitted the former president of the perjury case.In the meantime, the court allowed Estrada to return to his Tanay, Rizal rest house, instead of being hauled off to prison. Estrada said the verdict is "a political decision" by "a kangaroo court," adding that the verdict is expected as Sandiganbanyan Special Division was created to convict him."What is important is the support of the people, and they have overwhelmingly acquitted me," Estrada told the media on Thursday. - GMANews.TV

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