ESTRADA STILL DUTY-BOUND TO CONTINUE PERFORMING HIS FUNCTIONS AS SENATOR AMID CONVICTION ON BRIBERY — ZUBIRI

By Liza Soriano

MANILA — Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said that Senator Jinggoy Estrada is still duty-bound to continue performing his functions as Senator despite a bribery conviction in connection with a pork barrel scam.

In his statement, Zubiri said that Estrada can still exhaust all the legal remedies.

“He has the right to exhaust all of these,” Zubiri stressed.

“He can still file a Motion for Reconsideration with the Sandiganbayan; he can still file an appeal by certiorari with the Supreme Court,” he added.

In the decision of Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, Estrada was acquitted of plunder but convicted of direct and indirect bribery in connection with the pork barrel scam.

Meanwhile, Sen. JV Ejercito, Estrada’s brother, said that the people should “respect the wisdom and fairness of our justice system.”

“Our justice system, despite its imperfection, is there to maintain law and order, protect our rights, and provide justice,” Ejercito said in a separate statement.

(el Amigo/MNM)