By Sammy F. Martin
MANILA, August 3 (PNA) – The Sandiganbayan on Monday announced that aside from the Monday hearings, additional weekly hearings will be set on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Sandiganbayan Fifth Division Chairman and Associate Justice Roland Jurado said in open court that the additional dates were in response to the request made by the Office of the Ombudsman.
But since the additional hearing dates will be shared with other cases, the lawyers of detained Senator Jinggoy Estrada and alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles opposed the plan.
The decision made by the anti-graft court was appreciated by Estrada saying it will fast-track his bail hearing.
Also part of its effort to fast track the bail hearings, the Fifth Division also started thrice-a-week hearings for the bail petition of former APEC party-list Rep. Edgar Valdez who is also accused of plunder in connection with the pork barrel scam.
The prosecution presented Mary Arlene Baltazar, former book keeper of Napoles. Baltazar said, she once saw Valdez in their office when she was still working for Napoles. (PNA)