“Damaging.”
Maaaring isa-isahin ni Senador Jinggoy Estrada lahat ng kanyang nais irason, ngunit naniniwala ang state prosecutors na ito ang pangunahing dahilan kung bakit nais ng mambabatas na harangan sa harap ng Sandiganbayan Fifth Division ang presentasyon ng Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) ang ulat tungkol sa inquiry sa kanyang bank accounts.
“Even as he cites various grounds for his prayer, however, what is clear is that accused Estrada desperately wants to keep the AMLC Inquiry Report from this Honorable Court and from the public at large, undoubtedly because the same is damaging to him,” saad ng prosekusyon sa kanilang oposisyon laban sa Urgent Motion ni Estrada upang maharangan ang AMLC report.
Inilarawan ng state prosecutors ang huling mosyon bilang bahagi ni “Estrada’s endless barrage of privolous motions designed to delay the instant proceeding and prevent incriminatory evidence from being introduced against him.”
“Once and for all, instead of raising erroneous arguments and baseless grounds, accused Estrada should simply come clean and explain himself to the people. His dilatory maneuvers – being orchestrated by his lawyers since day one – are beginning to speak volumes of his purported `innocence’,” ayon pa sa prosekusyon.
Iginiit ng prosekusyon na hindi maaaring magtago si Estrada sa likod ng kanyang right to privacy.
Sa pagtuturo sa mga probisyon sa ilalim ng Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials (Republic Act 6713), ipinaliwanag ng state lawyers na kailangan ni Estrada na maglabas ng isang waiver tungkol sa kanyang right to privacy sa kanyang banking transactions.
“Accused Estrada, therefore, cannot invoke his privacy as against the Ombudsman, who he expressly authorizd to obtain information regarding his assets and properties from government agencies (including the AMLC, needless to state),” diin ng prosekusyon sa kanilang Opposition na isinumite sa korte noong Martes.
Idinagdag ng prosekusyon na sa ilalim ng Bank Secrecy Law (Republic Act 1405), ang mga hindi saklaw ng right to privacy ay “in cases where the money deposited or invested is the subject matter of the litigation.”