MANILA – Sen. Jinggoy Estrada voluntarily surrendered to authorities on Monday following the issuance of an arrest warrant by the Sandiganbayan in connection with plunder and graft charges tied to alleged irregularities in government flood control projects.
Estrada left the Senate accompanied by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and proceeded to the Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City, where he underwent booking procedures.
Before turning himself in, the senator addressed reporters and said he would face the accusations without seeking protective custody from the Senate.
“If this is the price I must pay for the decisions I have made and the principles I have chosen to uphold, then I am prepared to face the consequences — however difficult they may be, especially for my family,” Estrada said.
“I will not be broken by accusations, nor will I yield to political pressure. I will meet these charges head-on, defend my honor through due process, and place my faith in the truth. I will be proceeding now to the CIDG to voluntarily surrender myself,” he added.
The Sandiganbayan earlier ordered Estrada’s arrest after finding probable cause in a plunder case involving alleged kickbacks from flood control projects funded under the 2025 national budget.
The Office of the Ombudsman accused the senator of receiving more than P573 million in illegal payouts linked to project allocations.
Estrada rejected the allegations and insisted there was no evidence that he inserted projects into the national spending plan.
“Kalokohan ang lahat ng ito. Mismong ang Senate Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office (LBRMO) ang nagsabi sa Ombudsman na wala silang anumang dokumento o rekord na nagpapakita na ako ay nagpasok ng anumang insertion sa 2025 national budget,” he said.
Questioning the basis of the plunder charge, Estrada also maintained that he had no involvement in the alleged scheme.
“How can the Office of the Ombudsman file a plunder case against me when I am not even alleged to be part of, or the mastermind of, the supposed scheme? Wala akong kinalaman dyan,” he said.
The senator further disclosed that he would remain aligned with the Senate majority bloc despite what he described as efforts to persuade him to abandon it in exchange for the dismissal of the cases against him.
“I stand my ground because what is at stake here goes far beyond my personal circumstances. What is at stake is the independence of the Senate itself,” Estrada said.
“This institution must never become vulnerable to external pressure. It must remain free from political coercion, free from undue influence, and free from any scheme designed to weaken its constitutional role as a co-equal and independent branch of government,” he added.
Aside from Estrada, former Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan and several current and former Department of Public Works and Highways officials were named in the charge sheet filed before the anti-graft court.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said investigators uncovered what they described as a scheme involving project allocations and budget insertions in exchange for commissions.
“The cases stem from an intricate mechanism involving illegal budgetary insertions and project allocations within the DPWH infrastructure portfolio for fiscal year 2025. Our evaluation shows that substantial public funds were deliberately funneled into designated infrastructure projects in exchange for predetermined commission fees or kickbacks,” Clavano said.
“Case records point to an accumulated sum of illicit payouts amounting to an aggregate sum of over P573 million, which were systematically delivered to the principal respondent, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada,” he added.
Clavano also argued that a certification issued by the Senate’s Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office stating that Estrada made no budget insertions did not conclusively rule out the possibility of irregular interventions during other stages of the budget process.
After completing booking procedures at the CIDG office, Estrada left the facility. The case marks the latest legal challenge for the senator, who is facing plunder charges for the third time in the past 25 years.
Earlier, Estrada sought to prevent the issuance of arrest warrants and asked the Sandiganbayan to dismiss the criminal cases filed against him before both the Second and Fifth Divisions.
According to Estrada’s lawyer, Atty. Noel Ostrea, the defense submitted an urgent motion last May 29 asking the court to withhold the release of the warrant while also questioning the validity of the charges.
“We kind of understand that what we filed was extraordinary, but we hope the Sandiganbayan justices will understand that our client that our client is yet to receive the Ombudsman, Department of Justice resolutions charging him of these crimes,” Ostrea told reporters.
“How can we file a proper motion when we do not know the basis of these charges?” he added.
Ostrea said the defense later received copies of the resolutions and subsequently filed motions seeking the dismissal of the cases.
“We filed motion to quash alongside other omnibus motions so we can present our arguments justifying the dismissal of cases against Senator Jinggoy before the Sandiganbayan,” he added.
The plunder case stems from allegations tied to flood control projects, with separate graft charges also filed against Estrada and several former public works officials.
The Sandiganbayan has yet to rule on the motions seeking the dismissal of the cases./PN
