Estrada posts bail in flood control graft case, highest-ranking official yet indicted

Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada arrived at the Sandiganbayan on Friday, May 29, to submit himself and post P90,000 bail over a graft case linked to the flood control controversy, making him the highest-ranking sitting official indicted in the scandal.

The anti-graft and corruption court’s Second Division earlier issued a warrant of arrest against the senator.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Estrada denied the allegations and explained his decision to post bail.

“I am personally posting bail before the Sandiganbayan in relation to the arrest warrant issued by its Second Division,” the senator said.

He also explained that posting bail is a legal remedy available under the justice system, and that he intends to avail himself of all lawful means to defend himself and clear his name.

“Mariin kong itinatanggi ang mga paratang laban sa akin. Ang mga ito ay walang batayan at walang bahid ng katotohanan,” he added.

The senator also emphasized that he respects the rule of law and the country’s judicial institutions, and that this is why he is posting bail and submitting himself to the jurisdiction of the court.

“Umaasa ako sa patas na pagtrato, due process, at pagiging walang kinikilingan sa pagdinig ng kasong ito,” he stressed, trusting that justice and truth will prevail.

Under Philippine law, graft is a bailable offense, while plunder, which carries a threshold of at least Php 50 million, is non-bailable.

Ombudsman indicts Estrada, others for plunder and graft over flood control scheme

The Office of the Ombudsman on May 28 has filed criminal sets of information before the Sandiganbayan against Estrada, indicting him for plunder under Republic Act No. 7080 and two counts of graft under Republic Act No. 3019.

Charged alongside the senator are former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan, and local engineering officials from the National Capital Region (NCR), including Assistant District Engineer Denryl Caesar Cortuna, District Engineer Manny Bulusan, and District Engineer Arturo Gonzalez Jr.

The graft case was raffled to the court’s Second Division chaired by Presiding Justice Geraldine Faith Econg.

Meanwhile, the plunder and another graft case were assigned to the Fifth Division chaired by Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses.

Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said in a press briefing that the cases stem from an intricate mechanism involving illegal budgetary insertions and project allocations within the DPWH infrastructure portfolio for the 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. 

Clavano added that case records show an accumulated sum of illicit payouts amounting to more than Php 573 million, which were allegedly systematically delivered to the principal respondent, Senator Estrada.

Previous corruption cases involving Estrada

This is not the first time the senator has faced plunder and graft allegations.

He first faced a plunder case alongside his father, former president Joseph “Erap” Estrada, in 2001 over allegations of conspiring to amass around Php 4 billion in hidden wealth through jueteng operations, tobacco excise tax kickbacks, stock manipulation, and the use of a fictitious account to conceal ill-gotten assets.

The former president was convicted, while the incumbent senator was acquitted after the court found the evidence and testimony against him insufficient.

He later faced plunder and graft charges in 2014 in connection with the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), or pork barrel scam. 

While he was acquitted of plunder, 11 counts of graft remain pending before the Sandiganbayan.