Plunder, graft cases filed vs Estrada, Bonoan

MANILA, Philippines, May 29 ------ Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is facing a new charge of plunder, his third, and another case for graft over his alleged involvement in the multibillion-peso flood control scandal. The Office of the Ombudsman charged Estrada, along with former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan, before the Sandiganbayan over the alleged P573 million worth of kickbacks from various flood control projects.

Others named in the charges were former DPWH-National Capital Region assistant district engineer Denryl Caesar Cortuna as well as district engineers Manny Bulusan and Arturo Gonzales Jr. Estrada in a statement denied the allegations, citing a Senate Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office letter, which states that he did not insert any project for funding in the 2025 General Appropriations Act that became the source of flood control kickbacks. “We will exhaust all legal remedies. My lawyers are preparing the necessary steps to show the irregularities in the process and the pieces of

evidence that were not weighed and considered,” Estrada said in mixed English.

He claimed that the cases were filed against him after he aligned himself with the new majority, led by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano. “Kapanasin-pansin din na, mula nang magpalit ng liderato sa Senado, naging mabilis ang pag-usad ng mga kasong kinasasangkutan ng ilang miyembro ng majority bloc,” Estrada said. “As I have said before, if this is the price that I have to pay for standing by my principles and for what I believe in, then so be it. I will continue to seek the truth and defend my name in the right forum and according to law,” he added.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said he has coordinated with Estrada about the impending arrest and laid out options for a surrender. “I talked to him already. I gave him options and he said he will think about it,” Remulla said in a message on Viber. Remulla did not give details on his conversation with Estrada and whether they apply the same template for former senator Ramon Revilla Jr.

The Sandiganbayan raffled to the Second and Fifth Divisions the graft cases and the plunder case to the Fifth Division. Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said anti-graft prosecutors have recommended no bail in the cases, adding that they would seek a hold departure order against the respondents to “preserve the integrity of the case in court.”

Source: philstar.com