Court allows Estrada to undergo cataract surgery

The anti-graft court yesterday allowed former president Joseph Estrada to undergo a cataract surgery following an appeal by his lawyers.

The Sandiganbayan special tribunal, which is handling charges against Estrada, allowed the surgery in the right eye to be held on Sunday at the Asian Eye Institute in Makati City. Post surgery examination will take place the day after.

Estrada has been in government detention since April last year, three months after he was ousted by an uprising, to face various corruption-related charges including the capital offence of plunder to which his son Jinggoy is also a respondent.

On December 16 last year, a cataract was removed from his left eye and he was allowed post-operative examinations by the Third Division of the Sandiganbayan. Estrada also has a request to visit the U.S. for knee operations.

Jinggoy is still confined at the private Makati Medical Hospital for chest pains after the Sandiganbayan special tribunal allowed his transfer from the government-run Veterans Memorial Medical Centre which lacked facilities to treat him.

Estrada will be arraigned for charges of illegal use of an alias and perjury at the Sandiganbayan on February 13.

The proceeding, the third arraignment on separate cases for the deposed leader, was set yesterday by the anti-graft court's special division after it determined there may be truth in the "illegal use of an alias" charge filed by the government.

The charge stems from accusations that Estrada used the false name "Jose Velarde" in hiding P2 billion ($39 million) in an account with the local Equitable PCI-Bank.

Estrada was arraigned at the First Division for his first perjury case on June 27, 2001 and subsequently for the capital crime of plunder at the Third Division. He refused to present pleas on both occasions.

The first perjury case involved his alleged under declaration of wealth in his 1999 statement of assets, liabilities and networth (SALN). While he claimed to have only P35.89 million, prosecutors said he had more money in the bank and other holdings.

The second perjury case involved Estrada's 1998 SALN. State lawyers said he failed to disclose he had much more than his declared P37.38 million.