NEWS
Philippine solons sign resolution to allow Estrada's trip abroad

Former Pres. Estrada's cohorts are at it again. Legislators allied with him passed around a resolution asking the Sandiganbayan, the anti-graft court hearing Estrada's plunder cases, to allow him to have his knee surgery in the US. The resolution, signed by 130 House members, was set to be filed Monday night by its principal author, Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen. Nineteen senators signed a counterpart resolution in the Senate. The Inquirer's full text is here.

These solons, if they know their basic constitutional law, cannot pass this resolution without violating the separation of powers between the legislature and the judiciary. I am sure that the Sandiganbayan will turn down the preposterous resolution, but the mere fact that there is such a resolution shows how despicable these politicians are. These politicians are the same sycophants who led Estrada to believe that he could be President and gave him the political machinery for mounting a political campaign. When they handily won the presidency in 1998, they divided the political spoils among themselves as Estrada busied himself with his women and graft money. Now, they want to give him a reprieve from his hospital jail house and send him partying in the US on the pre-text of a new surgery. Despicable....utterly despicable!