Estrada gets break from new charges

Mr Estrada made a reluctant appearance on Monday

A court in the Philippines has delayed a move to lay new corruption charges against disgraced former President Joseph Estrada.

The Sandiganbayan court had been due to officially charge Mr Estrada on Wednesday with using a false name to secretly open bank accounts while he was president.

But the court adjourned, following a petition from Mr Estrada's lawyers.

There are still things that the court will have to consider

Court official

The former president is already on trial, charged with plundering $80m during his 30 months in power, and for concealing his assets.

The 64-year-old denies all the charges and appeared in court on Monday, dressed in slippers and without his lawyers, apparently under duress.

He said he had intended not to appear, and that he had a waiver excusing him. But legal officials had threatened to have him physically carried into court, so he changed his mind.

Cat and mouse

Government legal officials have threatened Mr Estrada's lawyers with contempt of court for failing to attend Monday's hearing and accuse them of delaying tactics.

Security has been stepped up for the trial

The defence lawyers have since filed a motion asking the court to nullify Monday's hearings on the grounds that Mr Estrada was not properly represented.

The next hearing of the plunder trial has been set for 17 October.

Mr Estrada, 64, was toppled from power in January, following peaceful protests. He is currently being detained in a military hospital.

The charge that was delayed on Wednesday is that Mr Estrada used the false name Jose Velarde to open bank accounts. Prosecutors objected to the defence petition which was filed late on Tuesday, and the court suspended the arraignment until a later, undecided date.

"There are still things that the court will have to consider," said a court official.

The more serious plunder charge carries the death sentence, but President Gloria Arroyo is against capital punishment and has ruled that out.