Article: Prosecutors won't appeal Erap's perjury acquittal.(Main News)

Byline: EDMER F. PANESA

Government prosecutors have decided not to appeal the acquittal of former President Joseph Estrada on a perjury case and his two co-accused, Sen. Jose 'Jinggoy' Estrada and lawyer Edward Serapio, in a plunder case, saying that doing so would be an exercise in futility.

Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa- Ignacio said that as a rule, a judgment of acquittal is immediately final and the prosecution cannot appeal the same because of the constitutional prohibition against double jeopardy.

"There is no remedy available to the state once an accused is acquitted. We cannot appeal an acquittal under the principle of double jeopardy," Villa Ignacio ...

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