By Macon Ramos Araneta

FORMER First Lady Imelda Marcos has joined the Presidential Commission on Good Government in asking for the disqualification of former Solicitor General Estelito Mendoza as counsel for taipan Lucio Tan.

In seeking the disqualification, Mrs. Marcos noted that Mendoza violated Rule 6.03 of the Code of Professional Responsibility which states that lawyers after coming from government should not accept employment or management in connection with what he worked on.

?Plaintiff?s counsel [PCGG special counsel Catalino Generillo Jr.] also casually, but unequivocally, explained the relationship between Civil Cases Nos. 0096 and the instant case, 0005,? said Mrs. Marcos.

The two cases, she added in the manifestation filed through lawyer Robert Sison, are ?inextricably connected to the present case as a umbilical cord is to an infant.?

Civil Case No. 0096 involves the sequestered shares of stocks in Allied Banking Corp. Civil Case No. 0005 involves the government?s ill-gotten wealth cases against the late President Ferdinand Marcos and his dummies.

Mrs. Marcos also said that Mendoza had earlier declared in one of the hearings that he is already 78 years old and if he ?should not be able to complete this case, it will be difficult for my clients to hire new lawyers and these new lawyers will not be able to provide the legal assistance and the legal representation I am otherwise able to provide.?

Mendoza was unfazed by Mrs. Marcos? manifestation. ?She thinks I?m a good lawyer. I have been her lawyer in all her cases.?

Generillo welcomed Mrs. Marcos? move, saying the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division should be given time to study this motion considering that the former first lady joined the government?s side.

?If a principal defendant joins the plaintiff, technicalities should be set aside. This is a more serious matter that should be addressed by the court,? Generillo said.

In asking the court to order Mendoza inhibit from the case, Generillo cited conflict of interest, as Mendoza had advised the central bank on the liquidation of General Bank and Trust Co. (Genbank) when he was solicitor general.

This was acquired by Tan and later became Allied Banking Corp., the shares of stocks of which have been sequestered by the PCGG and presently subject of Civil Case No. 0096.

?The involvement of Mendoza in the liquidation of Genbank while he was the solicitor general is so direct that the appearance of impropriety must be avoided through disqualification,? the PCGG lawyer said.

Generillo is the head of PCGG panel prosecuting the government?s claim on Tan?s assets, the same properties being pursued by the Marcoses through Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand ?Bongbong? Marcos Jr.

The government and the Marcoses have been claiming ownership sharing in six corporations of Tan which include Foremost Farms, Silangan Holdings Inc., Asia Brewery, Fortune Tobacco, Himmel Industries and Granspan Development Corp.